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Donald Trump begins 2024 campaign with Waco rally

Claire Peterson on September 25, 2023

Donald Trump – Notwithstanding the criminal probes started against him, Donald Trump is proceeding with his presidential bid.

The ruling might put the United States in a political and legal dilemma.

Campaign rally

Donald Trump hosted his first official 2024 campaign event on Saturday.

During a rally in Waco, Texas, the former president raged against “prosecutorial misconduct.”

Trump has maintained his innocence during many investigations in New York, Georgia, and Washington.

Despite the lack of proof, Donald Trump claimed the investigations were politically driven attempts to sabotage his presidential bid in 2024 over the Waco rally.

“Prosecutorial misconduct is their new tool, and they’re willing to use it at levels never seen before in our country,” said Trump.

“We’ve had it, but we’ve never had it like this.”

“We must stop them and we must not allow them to go through another election where they have yet another tool in their tool kit.”

On signs raised by supporters, the words “Witch hunt” were printed.

“Our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and break our will,” he said.

“But they’ve failed. They’ve only made us stronger.”

The Waco Regional Airport ceremony was reminiscent of Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, which lay the groundwork for his 2024 goal.

The location

Donald Trump’s event was held in Waco, Texas, 30 years after federal and state police assaulted the headquarters of the Branch Davidian doomsday cult in Waco.

86 individuals were killed during a 51-day siege.

For the extremist right, it has since become a symbol of government overreach.

At the event, Trump made no mention of the siege, but a spokeswoman claimed Waco was chosen due to its centralized location, allowing it to get to many Texan population centers.

“This is the ideal location to have as many supporters from across the state and in neighboring states to attend this historic rally,” said Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Donald Trump.

Investigations

The return of Donald Trump to his favorite event raises many questions.

The court is investigating a hush money payment for a ten-year-old dispute in New York.

Similarly, Georgia is investigating his attempts to invalidate the 2020 presidential election.

Apart from Trump’s efforts to steal the 2020 presidential election, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is looking into concealed records discovered at his Mar-a-Lago home.

Eventually, the former president is being probed for his role in the insurgency that began on January 6, 2021.

The hush money & documents

Alvin Bragg, a Manhattan District Attorney probing Trump’s alleged participation in the Stormy Daniels hush money case, feels the investigation is reaching its conclusion.

Yet, Donald Trump predicted his arrest on the social media network Truth Social, warning that it may lead to death and destruction, which would be bad for the United States.

His former lawyer, Michael Cohen, acknowledged paying a woman $130,000 to keep the affair disguised before the 2016 election.

Trump has often denied the affair, and he reiterated his denial on Saturday night, making disparaging statements about Daniels.

Donald Trump’s defense attorney, Evan Corcoran, went before a federal grand jury in Washington on Friday.

He was supposed to offer answers on the sensitive materials investigation, which Trump failed to conceal.

As part of the criminal investigation into plots to rig the 2020 presidential election, a federal judge ordered six of Trump’s associates to appear before a grand jury.

Ron DeSantis & other leaders

Donald Trump chastised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during his address in Waco.

DeSantis appears to be exploring a presidential bid, and early surveys suggest he may be a dangerous opponent.

Trump claimed credit for Desantis’ win in the 2018 Florida governor’s race.

Despite a worse-than-expected GOP national showing, DeSantis was comfortably re-elected in 2022.

Trump said that previous Republican governors had kept Florida affluent for decades and that he deserved little credit for it.

Additionally, he stated that DeSantis was particularly forceful in terms of public safety measures during the early stages of the outbreak.

Republic executives in South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee fared better, according to the former president.

“I’m not a big fan,” Trump said about DeSantis.

“He’s a disciple of Paul Ryan. That’s why he wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

Donald Trump congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping for their meeting in Moscow during the occasion.

He portrayed them as “intelligent people” debating the next century’s world order, calling it “one of the saddest things you can imagine.”

“I get along with Putin,” said Trump, revealing he regularly talked about Ukraine.

“He wanted a piece. Now, it looks like he’ll probably end up getting the whole thing.”

…

Jack Teixeira caught by the FBI for leaking documents

Nicholas Alexander on April 14, 2023

Jack Teixeira — On Thursday, the FBI captured Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Teixeira is related to the disclosed private data that has been making the rounds online.

The arrest

The arrest of Jack Teixeira comes after a quick investigation by US officials into the identity of the person who exposed personal information to Discord, a popular social networking site for video game players.

According to Garland, Teixeira was caught without incident in Massachusetts.

In addition, he will face accusations in federal court in that city.

“The investigation is ongoing,” said Garland. “We will share information at the appropriate time.”

Jack Teixeira will appear in court in Boston on Friday, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, the FBI announced Teixeira’s arrest at his home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, for his participation in the leak of sensitive US government and military material.

“The FBI is continuing to conduct authorized law enforcement activity at the residence,” said the agency.

“Since late last week, the FBI has aggressively pursued investigative leads, and today’s arrest exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray our country’s trust and put our national security at risk.”

The leaked material, which included detailed intelligence assessments of allies and foes, was extensively disseminated on social media.

Some of the documents also exposed the realities of the Ukraine war and the roadblocks that brought Kyiv and Moscow to a halt.

Search for the suspect

Several US intelligence agencies think Jack Teixeira is the leader of a group that is disseminating classified information over social media.

Thousands of people with access to the news began seeking for the perpetrator.

However, using information gained in the days following the discovery of the sensitive material by US authorities, investigators quickly narrowed the search to possible chat group members.

Despite the fact that the documents were accessed by several people, the forensic trail left by the leaker allowed police to narrow down the possibilities.

According to a US government source familiar with the case, Jack Teixeira had been under FBI monitoring for many days prior to his arrest on Thursday.

Biden’s update

Early Thursday, President Biden appeared to imply that the government was close to apprehending the leaker.

According to a US source, Biden found out about his detention between his speech to parliament and his departure for a gala banquet at Dublin Castle.

Biden stayed at the hotel for over 90 minutes between the two events.

According to the officials, the US president was briefed on the inquiry and his senior staff’s efforts to connect with allies listed in or affected by the content of the stolen papers.

According to another source, the issue has persisted during Biden’s deeply personal and important overseas trip.

Details on the leaker

Following his imprisonment, Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira’s service information were disclosed by the Air Force.

Teixeira is an Air National Guard soldier from Massachusetts.

In September 2019, he began his official Cyber Transport Systems journeyman post.

Employees of Cyber Transport Systems, according to the Air Force, ensure the effective operation of the service’s global communications network.

The leaker, according to the Washington Post, worked on a military website and shared crucial national secrets with an internet network of friends.

A buddy of the leaker characterized him as a lonely young man and gun enthusiast who joined a Discord group with over two dozen other people who shared a love of weapons and military gear.

Upbringing

Several of Jack Teixeira’s former high school classmates were interested in the military, firearms, and violence.

Teixeira would occasionally sneak into school with a hefty book about firearms, behaving in ways that made other students uncomfortable.

“A lot of people were wary of him,” said Brooke Cleathero, a middle school and high school classmate.

Another classmate, John Powell, recalls Teixeira as a pleasant and quiet young man who was occasionally made fun of.

“He didn’t have many friends,” said Powell.

According to public records, Jack Teixeira grew up in the Providence suburbs.

He graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth High School in 2020.

Powell remembers Teixeira occasionally pulling a military vehicle textbook.

“He was dead set on joining some branch of the military, even as a kid,” said Powell.

Other students who requested anonymity stated Jack Teixeira created a scary environment and made disparaging remarks about others.

Following the horrific massacre in Las Vegas in 2017, one student claimed to have arrived at school wearing AR-15-themed clothing.

While Teixeira’s actions did not need reporting, they did raise concerns among many others.

Meanwhile, another student mistook his military interest with American nationalism, which astonished her when the claims became public.

“I didn’t think he would be capable of doing something like this,” she said.

On Thursday, Biden expressed alarm about the leaks but was unconcerned about the content.

“I’m not concerned about the leak,” said the US president.

“I’m concerned that it happened, but there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of any consequence.”

…

Documents taken from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home to remain sealed

Edward Anderson on August 22, 2022

On Monday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to withhold a key document related to the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

After investigating former President Donald Trump, federal prosecutors said the document contained “highly sensitive information” that could compromise national security investigations.

The request came three days after the federal judge released the search warrant along with other documents detailing key details of the raid.

The Department of Justice refuses to publish the affidavit

Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland said he personally endorsed the warrant and supported its disclosure of “substantial public interest in this matter.”

On Monday, however, the Justice Department denied requests for affidavits in support of the search warrant.

They explained that this “presents a very different set of considerations.”

In the U.S. District Court in Florida, federal prosecutors wrote:

“There remain compelling reasons, including to protect the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement investigation that implicates national security, that supports keeping the affidavit sealed.”

The affidavit contains “critically important and detailed investigative facts,” according to the filing signed by Jay Bratt, director of counterintelligence and export controls for the Department of National Security.

The facts include “highly sensitive information about witnesses, including witnesses interviewed by the government; specific investigative techniques; and information required by law to be kept under seal” under federal regulations as drafted by prosecutors.

“If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps,” the filing wrote.

“In addition, information about witnesses is particularly sensitive given the high-profile nature of this matter and the risk that the revelation of witness identities would impact their willingness to cooperate with the investigation,” the prosecutor added.

Prosecutors said they were considering releasing a heavily redacted version of the affidavit, but ultimately concluded that “the redactions necessary to mitigate harms to the integrity of the investigation would be so extensive as to render the remaining unsealed text devoid of meaningful content.”

Raid Results

The search warrant and title deed were opened on Friday, revealing more behind Trump’s search of the home.

However, it also raised more questions about the federal investigation into the former president.

According to the documents, the FBI received 20 boxes of items and other documents, including several sets of top secret and classified documents.

Under the search warrant, officers were looking for documents related to three criminal laws, including one that is part of the Espionage Act.

A law governing the removal or destruction of government documents carries the penalty of “disqualified from holding any office under the United States” under the law.

Meanwhile, none of the three statutes (US Code Title 18, Sections 793, 1519, and 2071) are based on whether or not the documents are classified.

Earlier on Monday, Trump announced on his social media platform that the FBI had seized three of his passports, including an expired one, during the raid. Relation:

The Justice Department asks the judge to keep the sworn statement of Trump’s search warrant sealed to protect national security investigations.

Reference:

DOJ urges judge to keep Trump search warrant affidavit sealed to protect national security investigation