15 Jan 2023 3:26 pm
...and I cannot show any prior instances of rogue soon-to-be-ex-presidents declaring that they could "declassify documents just by thinking about it"... because we've never had a wacko nutcase like that before the clown departed.golfboy » 15 Jan 2023, 3:44 pm » wrote: ↑ You're a disingenuous POS. It's not possible to use classified documents when no such thing even existed.
You can't show a SINGLE person who has been prosecuted under the espionage act for disseminating unclassified documents, since document classification has existed.
But you'll keep playing stupid games because you can't defend your stupid positions.
THE POINT being, that, if he were to have declared any significantly sensitive piece of intelligence as arbitrarily "unclassified" and then allowed access to that document that caused the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, such arbitrary declassification would not protect him from being charged with a violation of the Espionage Act. Do you agree?
Or do you agree with @Beekeeper that the mere act of presidential "declassification", regardless of how foolhardy and inappropriate, and regardless of what damage it may have caused the USA, would shield him from legal action under that act?
Choose. Does arbitrary declassification mean that any document so declassified magically no longer contains information that may be used for the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation?