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Jack Smith Finally Spoke. What He Couldn't Say Points to Kash Patel. -- Kait Justice
https://kaitjustice.substack.com/p/jack-smith-finally-spoke-what-heThe former special counsel gave his first interview since resigning, and what he still cannot say about Trump's documents case points straight back to the man now running the FBI.
Jack Smith sat down with Nicolle Wallace on July 2 for the first television interview he has given since resigning as special counsel.
For most of the conversation, Smith was warm and direct. He talked about the FBI agents who worked his investigations and have since been pushed out under Donald Trump and Kash Patel. He talked about one agent who was fired while caring for a gravely ill wife and told Wallace he feels terrible about what happened to them. He said looking out for those agents has become the work that fills his days now.
Then Wallace asked him about the classified documents case, the investigation into the national security records Trump kept at Mar a Lago after leaving office. Smith would only say the report remains under seal. He would keep his distance from the case, the findings, anything that could be seen as violating the order that keeps Volume II locked away from the public.
. . .
When the transcript of Smith's closed door deposition came out Smith was asked whether Patel testified before the grand jury in the classified documents case, and he could not answer because the answer was sealed. Then he was asked whether Patel invoked his Fifth Amendment right during that investigation, and he had to say the same thing again.
The strange part is that the public record already tells us what happened. Smith is the one person barred from repeating them, but the rest of us can read them in the open record. Patel was subpoenaed to the grand jury investigating Trump's retention of classified materials. Rather than answer, he took the Fifth, the right not to say anything that could be used against you. So prosecutors gave him immunity, a promise that nothing he said could be used to charge him, and a judge signed a sealed order forcing him to testify. That order is still sealed, so we cannot see what he said, only that he had to be compelled to say it.
. . .
For most of the conversation, Smith was warm and direct. He talked about the FBI agents who worked his investigations and have since been pushed out under Donald Trump and Kash Patel. He talked about one agent who was fired while caring for a gravely ill wife and told Wallace he feels terrible about what happened to them. He said looking out for those agents has become the work that fills his days now.
Then Wallace asked him about the classified documents case, the investigation into the national security records Trump kept at Mar a Lago after leaving office. Smith would only say the report remains under seal. He would keep his distance from the case, the findings, anything that could be seen as violating the order that keeps Volume II locked away from the public.
. . .
When the transcript of Smith's closed door deposition came out Smith was asked whether Patel testified before the grand jury in the classified documents case, and he could not answer because the answer was sealed. Then he was asked whether Patel invoked his Fifth Amendment right during that investigation, and he had to say the same thing again.
The strange part is that the public record already tells us what happened. Smith is the one person barred from repeating them, but the rest of us can read them in the open record. Patel was subpoenaed to the grand jury investigating Trump's retention of classified materials. Rather than answer, he took the Fifth, the right not to say anything that could be used against you. So prosecutors gave him immunity, a promise that nothing he said could be used to charge him, and a judge signed a sealed order forcing him to testify. That order is still sealed, so we cannot see what he said, only that he had to be compelled to say it.
. . .
1 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
We MUST DEMAND both the tRump-Epstein files and ALL of the Special Prosecutor reports!
Failing to provide them is a scandal perpetrated by not only tRump, but the ENTIRE Republicon party!
