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Secret Service official involved in Jan. 6 retires from agency

Secret Service agents stand guard as Former President Donald Trump sits for a deposition at the office of the NYS Attorney General on August 10, 2022 in New York City. A top Secret Service official who previously served in a political position in the Trump White House left the agency Monday for a job in the private sector. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images

A top Secret Service official who served in a political position in the Trump White House left the agency Monday for a job in the private sector. Tony Ornato, who was an assistant director at the Secret Service, said his departure was planned more than a year ago, before explosive congressional testimony this summer about former President Donald Trump's actions on Jan. 6. "I did retire today to pursue a career in the private sector," Ornato told NBC News. "I retired from the U.S. Secret Service after more than 25 years of faithful service to my country, including serving the past five presidents. I long-planned to retire and have been planning this transition for more than a year." Secret Service Special Agent Kevin Helgert said Ornato retired "in good standing." Ornato led Trump's protective detail and made the unusual move to a political position as the White House deputy chief of staff for operations in 2019 before he returned to the Secret Service to help oversee its office of training. Ornato became a key figure in the House Jan. 6 committee's investigation into the insurrection when former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified at a public hearing that Ornato had described to her an incident inside the armored SUV carrying Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. Hutchinson said Ornato described Trump's lunging at the driver and insisting they go to the Capitol, where his supporters were gathering. Hutchinson's account has been disputed by some people familiar with the matter. His departure from the Secret Services comes amid other high-level changes at the agency. James Murray announced his retirement as director last month, before the congressional uproar over missing Secret Service text messages from Jan. 6 became public. President Joe Biden last week appointed Kim Cheatle as Murray's successor.

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Australia's Albanese mulls probe into secret ministries saga

PM Anthony Albanese says his government could investigate ex-premier Scott Morrison, who was secretly sworn in to five key ministries during Covid pandemic.

PM Albanese (R) has previously said Morrison had attacked the Westminster system of government by secretly appointing himself to the portfolios. (Reuters and AP archives)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said his government could consider an inquiry into ex-PM Scott Morrison being secretly sworn into key ministries during the coronavirus pandemic. Albanese said on Sunday the government would receive advice on Monday from the Solicitor General, the country's second highest law officer, on the legality of Morrison's actions. Albanese indicated the government would also consider an inquiry and reforms to ensure the actions could not be repeated. "We'll examine all of those issues after we receive the Solicitor General's advice. I am running a proper cabinet government, that has proper processes, and we'll give full consideration to it," Albanese told Sky News television. Morrison's unprecedented assumption of powers Morrison, who stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party after losing a general election in May, was secretly sworn in to five key ministries during the pandemic, which represented an unprecedented assumption of powers, it emerged this week. The action has drawn criticism from the Labor government and Morrison's own party, but the former prime minister has defended the moves on the basis that he felt responsibility for the nation in the pandemic was his alone. Albanese said while the Solicitor General would advise on legal issues, there also were broader issues that needed to be probed. "There's separate questions about the functioning of our democracy, about conventions and whether any conventions have been overturned, and whether there's a need for any reforms required to ensure that something like this can never happen again," the prime minister said. Albanese has previously said Morrison had attacked the Westminster system of government by secretly appointing himself to the portfolios, which included home affairs, treasury, health, finance and resources between 2020 and 2021. Morrison has said he did not "take over" the ministries, after being sworn in by the governor general, and no ministers were interfered with except on one occasion, where he rejected a resources project. Source: Reuters

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/australias-albanese-mulls-probe-into-secret-ministries-saga/?feed_id=13667&_unique_id=6301af4debf34

FBI seized 'top secret' files in raid on Trump home

US federal agents who searched ex-US president Donald Trump's Florida home this week removed 11 sets of classified documents including some marked as top secret, says Justice Department.

Receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. (AP)

FBI agents recovered records marked "top secret" during their search of former president Donald Trump's Florida estate, according to documents made public in an investigation that includes possible violations of the US Espionage Act.

The warrant and related materials, unsealed by a Florida judge on Friday, showed agents took away with them a significant amount of classified files after the raid, which ignited a political firestorm in an already bitterly divided country.

The extraordinary search was partly based on suspicions of violations of the US Espionage Act related to the illegal retention of sensitive defence documents, the warrant showed.

Some of the papers were marked "top secret" and were "meant to be only available in special government facilities," said the unsealed seven-page federal court filing.

The filing contained a list of items removed from Mar-a-Lago, including information about the "President of France," and the warrant to search the palatial estate in Palm Beach.

Trump: FBI may have 'planted' docs

The Wall Street Journal said within the 20 boxes of items carted away by FBI agents were binders of photos, a handwritten note and the grant of clemency made by Trump to Roger Stone, an ally of the former president.

The Washington Post on Thursday cited anonymous sources close to the investigation as saying classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the papers sought during the raid.

Trump himself appeared to deny the claim, posting that the "nuclear weapons issue is a hoax" and even suggesting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation might have been "planting information" at his home.

He claimed that the documents seized by agents were "all declassified," and argued that he would have turned over the documents to the Justice Department if asked.

While incumbent presidents have the power to declassify information, that authority lapses as soon as they leave office and it was not clear if the documents in question have ever been declassified.

Trump also kept possession of the documents despite multiple requests from agencies, including the National Archives, to turn over presidential records in accordance with federal law.

Political storm

The highly unusual move to unseal the search warrant was announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland –– the country's top law enforcement officer –– who said he had "personally approved" the raid on Trump's home.

Leading Republicans have rallied around Trump and some members of his party have accused the Justice Department and FBI of partisanship in targeting the ex-president.

In addition to investigations into his business practices, Trump faces legal scrutiny for his efforts to overturn the results of the November 2020 election, and for the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.

Trump was impeached for a historic second time by the House after the Capitol riot –– he was charged with inciting an insurrection –– but was acquitted by the Senate.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/fbi-seized-top-secret-files-in-raid-on-trump-home/?feed_id=10118&_unique_id=62f6c6f1a432d