List of All Articles with Tag 'l'

Former president Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted a legally dubious claim that he declassified sensitive documents at his Mar-a-Lago property before he left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential election. But he admitted, on a tape, six months after leaving office, that a document in his possession was “classified”, “highly confidential” and “secret information”. He admitted, on tape, that he could declassify such documents as president, but now that he is out of office, “I can’t.” The recording from July 2021 was in possession of federal prosecutors investigating the former president’s alleged mishandling of hundreds of documents bearing classification markings found in boxes at his Florida home, and whether he lied to authorities and his attorneys about the records he was keeping. A transcript of the recording published by CNN is expected to be a central piece of evidence in a federal case against the former president, who faces 37 counts in a federal indictment unsealed on 9 June. The recording also appears to contradict his ongoing, bogus claims about documents in his possession, as he rails against the federal “witch hunt” against him, among a long list of criminal charges, lawsuits and other legal actions he faces in courtrooms across the country. Last year, he told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he could declassify sensitive material by thinking about it. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified – even by thinking about it,” he said. “Because you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or wherever you’re sending it. There doesn’t have to be a process. There can be a process, but there doesn’t have to be.” In an appearance on Fox News with Hannity last week, the former president dismissed reports of the tape. “All I know is this: everything I did was right,” he said. By July 2021, officials at the National Archives and Records Administration had already spent several weeks urging Mr Trump to return documents they believed he had in his possession, culminating in a federal law enforcement search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022. The recording appears to have taken place at Mr Trump’s resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, alongside two people working with his former chief of staff Mark Meadows on his memoir from his time in the administration. Aides for Mr Trump, including communications specialist Margo Martin, also were reportedly present. Ms Martin was reportedly asked about the recording during a grand jury appearance in the case. A transcript of the recording suggests that the former president was showing the document to people in the room. The file allegedly involves a US Department of Defense report involving an attack on Iran. “Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this,” he said at one point, according to the transcript. “This was done by the military and given to me.” The meeting followed The New Yorker’s publication of a story from Susan Glasser detailing how, in the final days of Mr Trump’s presidency, his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley had instructed his team to prevent Mr Trump from launching a strike that could trigger a war. Mr Trump reportedly sought to use the document to discredit Mr Milley’s warnings and undermine reports that Mr Milley pushed back against an increasingly erratic president in the finals days of the administration, but the document reportedly was drafted much earlier in Mr Trump’s administration under then-Joint Chiefs chairman Joseph Dunford. “Well, with Milley – uh, let me see that, I’ll show you an example. He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn’t that amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him,” Mr Trump said, according to the transcript. “They presented me this – this is off the record, but – they presented me this,” he added. “This was him. This was the Defense Department and him. We looked at some. This was him. This wasn’t done by me, this was him.” Later, he said there was “all sorts of stuff – pages long.” “Wait a minute, let’s see here,” he continued. “I just found, isn’t that amazing? This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is like, highly confidential. Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this.” “Secret” and “confidential” are among classification markings for sensitive government documents. Mr Trump is charged with 31 of 37 counts under a section of the Espionage Act that prohibits “gathering, transmitting or losing” any “information respecting the national defence”. The use of Section 793, which does not make reference to classified information, is likely intended to undercut Mr Trump’s attempts to claim that he declassified such documents before moving them to his Florida home. That statute is written in a way that could encompass Mr Trump’s conduct even if he was authorised to possess the information as president. It states that anyone who “lawfully having possession of, access to, control over, or being entrusted with any document … relating to the national defence” and “willfully” transmits such information in any way can face a prison sentence of up to 10 years. For an additional conviction on a charge of obstruction, prosecutors must prove whether he knowingly kept documents from authorities and willfully defied the Justice Department’s subpoena for documents in his possession. A conviction includes a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The investigation is one of two helmed by special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland to lead a probe into the documents and Mr Trump’s role in the January 6 attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election. Read More Trump indictment - live: Trump says he’s ‘an innocent man’ as he faces seven charges in documents case Obstruction, witness tampering, conspiracy: The federal charges against Donald Trump How Trump’s second indictment unfolded: A timeline of the investigation into Mar-a-Lago documents

A potential Mets trade involving Reds closer Alexis Diaz has gained more traction recently. There's a real possibility New York could reunite the Diaz brothers at the trade deadline.If the Mets manage to bring over closer Alexis Diaz at the trade deadline, New York will get the "Big Ap...

Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne admit winning the Champions League has become both a dream and an obsession for Manchester City. City stand on the brink of glory as they prepare to face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday. Guardiola’s side are strong favourites for a game that could not only see them crowned European champions for the first time but complete the treble. The Premier League winners are hoping to put years of frustration behind them after several near misses in their pursuit of the prize they covet most. De Bruyne gave his feelings on the matter when he was asked if victory was a “dream” or an “obsession” as City held a pre-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Friday. “Maybe both, it depends who you ask,” said the Belgium playmaker. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top. “If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.” “To compete every year is amazing, and I’ve been able to compete against the best, but we’ve got a chance to close that if we are good enough.” City have reached the knockout stages of the tournament in each of Guardiola’s seven seasons as manager but they are yet to fulfil their ambition. Their runners-up finish two seasons ago, when they were beaten by Chelsea in the final, is the closest they have come. Guardiola, who won the competition twice as Barcelona boss, said: “It’s absolutely a dream, yes. “To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire. “It’s a positive word for the desire and will to win it. It is of course a dream for us.” City’s outstanding season has been fuelled by the goalscoring of Erling Haaland. The prolific Norwegian has netted 52 goals in an outstanding first campaign at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland admitted this week has was brought to City to win the Champions League and Guardiola – whose two previous successes came in tandem with Lionel Messi at Barcelona – hopes he proves the final piece of the jigsaw. Asked what he would advise managers hoping to emulate his achievements, Guardiola said: “Have good players – have Messi, have Haaland. This is my success. I’m not joking. “Every manager who has had success has had strong institutions and exceptional players. I’ve never scored a goal as a manager.” Haaland actually goes into the game having scored just once in his last seven outings but this is not a concern for Guardiola. “I don’t have doubts,” he said. “If you have doubts about Erling scoring you are a very lonely person. “Tomorrow he will be ready to help us win the Champions League.” Haaland has formed a potent attacking partnership with De Bruyne. De Bruyne was cheekily asked at the press conference if it had been “love at first sight” between the pair. De Bruyne said: “No. I’m happy with my wife!” Elaborating more, he added: “You have a feeling with a player and I understand what he wants. It clicked really well. He’s scored at an incredible rate and settled really easily.” De Bruyne has been chasing Champions League success with City since 2015. He said: “We have been consistent, we have been good enough, but we need to find a way to win the first one. It would be immense for the club and the fans, something amazing.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live We love the pressure – Ruben Dias confident Man City will thrive in final Republic of Ireland name 31-player training squad ahead of Women’s World Cup West Ham charged by UEFA over fan behaviour at Europa Conference League final

Breaking down more possible Braves trade targets that Atlanta should be eyeing from sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline, this time from the Tigers.On the heels of an electric series sweep of the Mets in which they came from behind to win each game, the Atlanta Braves are riding high. That's n...

Ruben Dias is confident Manchester City will thrive on the pressure in the Champions League final. The City defender has no doubt his team-mates will step up to the challenge as they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday. City have already claimed the domestic double after an outstanding late-season charge and they now stand just one win away from becoming European champions for the first time. Dias said: “We love the pressure, we love it. The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused. “That’s what these kind of games need and we need to embrace it. We enjoy the moment and we know what it means to our club, the fans, our families and we never forget to enjoy it.” After an inconsistent spell either side of the World Cup, City hit form in the spring to reel in Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and retain their title. We love the pressure, we love it. The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused. Ruben Dias They then powered through to the Champions League final with stunning victories over Bayern Munich and holders Real Madrid. After beating rivals Manchester United to win the FA Cup last weekend, momentum seems very much to be on their side. Dias said: “I’ve been saying this for a long time – when we get to February and the decisions come up, that’s the sweet spot. “You can see the character of a team when you arrive on these stages, you can see whether a team wants to move forward or starts hiding. “Since that moment we’ve been showing up every time and tomorrow will be no different. It’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Republic of Ireland name 31-player training squad ahead of Women’s World Cup West Ham charged by UEFA over fan behaviour at Europa Conference League final Australia on course for world title despite fielding woes against India

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., one of the world’s largest gold producers, has reduced activities “at times” within its

LONDON Goldman Sachs said on Friday the appointments of Mehmet Simsek as Turkish finance minister and Hafize Gaye

Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw has named a 31-player pre-World Cup training camp squad again to be captained by Arsenal’s Katie McCabe. The Republic will face co-hosts Australia in their World Cup opener on July 20, a contest which proved so popular that in January it was relocated to the tournament’s largest venue, Sydney’s 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia. Pauw’s World Cup debutants have three scheduled warm-up games before that fixture, beginning with a sold-out June 22 encounter against Zambia at Dublin’s Tallaght Stadium. McCabe along with three US-based players – Denise O’Sullivan, Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva – will link up with the squad after the Zambia game. Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion is a notable absence after tweaking her knee in training for her club last month, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) on Friday confirmed she will continue to be monitored ahead of the final squad selection of 23 players, to be whittled down by June 29. The training camp schedule will factor in when players finished their respective club seasons to determine workload and recovery time and ensure they will be in line with each other for the final stage of tournament preparation. Other Women’s Super League players to make the training squad include Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, Brighton shot-stopper Megan Walsh, and Liverpool defensive duo Niamh Fahey and Megan Campbell, with their Reds team-mate Leanne Kiernan among the forwards. Brighton’s Megan Connolly and Aston Villa’s Ruesha Littlejohn join McCabe in the pack of midfielders hoping to make Pauw’s final 23-player squad to travel to Australia, where they will also meet Canada and Nigeria in Group B. Grace Moloney and Diane Caldwell represent recently relegated Reading, while Chloe Mustaki plays for newly promoted Bristol City. Full Republic of Ireland pre-World Cup squad: Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes) Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham), Aine O’Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Louise Quinn (Birmingham), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Tara O’Hanlon (Peamount United) Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Sinead Farrelly (NY/NJ Gotham), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Erin McLaughlin (Peamount United) Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers), Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Potsdam Turbine), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live West Ham charged by UEFA over fan behaviour at Europa Conference League final Australia on course for world title despite fielding woes against India Andy Murray fights back from set down to reach Surbiton semi-finals

Former president Donald Trump showed highly-classified information to unauthorised persons on two separate occasions, according to a copy of the indictment against him that has been obtained by The Independent. The 49-page, 37-count indictment was unsealed on Friday after Mr Trump released a series of social media posts revealing that he has been indicted by a grand jury under supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith. The indictment details the charges against Mr Trump and Walter Nauta, a former US Navy noncommissioned officer who left government service to work for Mr Trump after his term ended in January 2021. It also lays out the two instances on which Mr Trump showed classified documents to unauthorised persons at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club. The first, in July 2021, was during an interview with a writer and a publisher who were working on a book by his ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows. According to the indictment, Mr Trump showed the writer, the book publisher, and two staff members who lacked security clearances a “plan of attack” put together by General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had recently been reported as criticising Mr Trump by the New Yorker. The second instance involved a classified map of an unnamed country, and staff working for Mr Trump’s political action committee. The indictment states that Mr Trump acknowledged that he lacked the authorization to show the documents at issue to the people who were present for both incidents. According to the indictment, the 37 charges against Mr Trump and Mr Nauta include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations. More follows... Read More Rep. Santos says he's protecting family members by seeking to keep bond cosigners secret DoJ unseals Trump classified papers indictment as aide also faces charges - live Trump ‘body man’ Walt Nauta has been indicted alongside ex-president

Donald Trump described a “plan of attack” devised by the Pentagon and shared a classified military map with a member of his political action committee who didn’t have a security clearance, the 37-count indictment against the former president shows. The indictment was unsealed on Friday afternoon. More follows...

Donald Trump has been indicted over his refusal to return classified documents found at his Florida home, the

Tesla stock charged higher Friday following an announcement by General Motors that GM's electric vehicles would be able to charge using Tesla's charging network. That news following a similar announcement from Ford just two weeks before.