petitions white house un redacted declassification doj g

The order to release information “unredacted” also could have violated the Privacy Act, which says the government cannot release personal information about people that’s found in government documents. Those documents and text messages could discuss all manner of things, including, potentially, investigators’ suspicions, secret evidence, investigative methods, and information on confidential sources whose lives could be put at risk. Then there was the certainty that sensitive information would be released. Though these documents would have been fascinating for journalists and historians to review, Trump’s goal clearly wasn’t transparency - he was searching for more ammunition to further attack and discredit the Mueller probe publicly.īut there were many problems with his order.įor one, the Russia investigation is ongoing and involves Trump personally - which meant Trump was ordering the release of internal investigative material implicating himself and his associates. But he also demanded “all text messages related to the Russia investigation” from four former FBI officials and one current Justice Department official be released - “without redaction.” He called for the “immediate” declassification of certain documents related to the FISA wiretap on Carter Page and the FBI’s use of the Steele dossier. Trump September 21, 2018Īs written, Trump’s order - in a statement released by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders Monday - was shockingly broad. Speed is very important to me - and everyone!- Donald J. In the end I can always declassify if it proves necessary. I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at). has been asked to review these documents on an expedited basis.

Petitions white house un redacted declassification doj g