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Results for: Classified Documents
President Joe Biden has voiced deep concern over the unauthorized release of classified documents detailing Israel’s potential retaliatory attack against Iran. The documents, marked top secret and dated October 15 and 16, were shared on Telegram and contain sensitive information related to Israeli military deployments. The White House is investigating the leak, with officials yet to determine whether it was a leak or a hack. The incident raises serious national security implications and highlights the potential vulnerabilities of classified information sharing within the “Five Eyes” alliance.
The White House has confirmed that classified documents detailing Israel’s potential plans for a retaliatory strike against Iran have been leaked, prompting President Biden to express deep concern. The administration is investigating the unauthorized release of these sensitive documents, which were reportedly shared within the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance and posted on the Telegram messaging app. The documents provide insights into Israel’s preparations for a military strike in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack in October 2023.
The Justice Department (DOJ) has revealed the existence of 117 pages of transcripts from conversations between President Joe Biden and his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, concerning classified documents. These transcripts were discovered during a probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents before taking office and were highlighted by the Oversight Project, a conservative watchdog group, in a lawsuit against the DOJ. The Oversight Project is seeking transparency regarding Biden’s competency and the DOJ’s handling of the investigation.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for failing to produce audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden. Republicans argue the recordings would provide context on Biden’s state of mind during the handling of classified documents. However, Democrats have dismissed the request as a partisan attempt to politicize the Department of Justice (DOJ). House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed a contempt resolution, but needs support from all but two Republicans to pass the party-line measure. Republicans also aim to defund the special counsel’s office investigating former President Trump as part of their effort to highlight alleged weaponization of the DOJ by Biden’s administration.
In the ongoing legal battle over classified documents, a federal judge has denied a motion to dismiss charges against former President Donald Trump. The judge’s ruling keeps all 41 counts intact, including accusations of hoarding classified documents and conspiring to conceal them from the government. The defense had attempted to throw out several counts related to obstruction and false statements, but the judge determined that while there may be some confusion, it did not warrant dismissal at this stage.
The Biden administration is refusing to release audio of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur, arguing that it could be manipulated through deepfake technology.
The Justice Department (DOJ) outlined its concerns in a Friday court filing, acknowledging that there is already enough public audio available to create AI deepfakes of both Biden and Hur. However, it argued that releasing the true recording would make it harder to disprove false versions.
The DOJ also cited concerns about the passage of time and advancements in audio and artificial intelligence technologies that could amplify the potential for malicious manipulation of audio files.
Biden’s administration is facing pressure from conservative legal groups and House Republicans to release the audio. The DOJ has previously released a transcript of the interview, which revealed several embarrassing moments for the president.
In response to a motion from Special Counsel Jack Smith requesting a gag order, former President Trump’s attorneys have accused the government of “unconstitutional censorship.” Smith’s motion seeks to prohibit Trump from making statements that pose a danger to law enforcement agents involved in the classified documents investigation. Trump’s legal team argues that the request is an attempt to silence Trump’s political speech and violates his First Amendment rights.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed court papers requesting former President Trump be restricted from publicly speaking about his classified documents case in a way that might pose a danger to law enforcement officials. The Justice Department says the policy is routine and meant to limit, rather than encourage, the use of force during searches.
The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. The committees are seeking the audio recording of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur during the probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents. According to Committee Chair James Comer, the Justice Department’s refusal to provide the audio files is impeding their investigation into Biden’s retention of classified documents and his suitability for office. The committees previously subpoenaed the recordings in March, but the DOJ stated it would only provide transcripts. Despite the release of a transcript, the committees believe the audio recording is crucial to their inquiry.