One explanation for this reclassification that I have seen offered in a few places is that DOJ set Trump up by reclassifying it, knowing that he had a copy.
This is at least partially based on the timing of Trump's back and forth with NARA and DOJ over docs stored at MAL.
I get why pple would jump to that take, but I don't think it holds up.
Here is the timeline of the Trump-NARA-DOJ.
DOJ was already involved before this doc got reclassified.
And nowhere, that I have seen, has it been argued by DOJ or NARA that Trump had docs that were reclassified. I think they would have mentioned that in the court filings somewhere by now.
Besides, the President can and DID declassify this document. It was published.
So I do not think this would be the "Gotcha, Orange Man!" trick that a few folks seem to think it would be.
So then, why has this document been reclassified?
Clues and indicators as to why are on and in the document itself.
NSICG = National Security Information
Classification Guide
So, knowing and understanding all of this, lets read the redacted and unredacted versions again.
The doc is referencing Steele and Burrows of Orbis meeting with FBI and apologizing for running to the media with the Dossier.
Steele and Burrows say they did so because they were "riding two horses," one was the FBI and one was their client.
That client, was Hillary Clinton and they chose her.
So, to RECLASSIFY this document, something MUST be going on with either Steele, Burrows, Orbis, HRC, the FBI agents at this meeting, or a combo thereof.
Judge Nachmanoff has issued an order regarding prosecutor's request for the implementation of a filter team protocol to review potentially privileged material that was seized during the Arctic Haze investigation and may be informative to their case against Comey.
He's appointed Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick to preside over all proceedings having to do with the review of the privilege materials.
In his order, notes that the "briefing on the government’s proposed filter protocol raises several legal questions that must be resolved before any protocol is authorized."
At least three of those questions were also raised by the defense in their opposition to the filter team protocol.
United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
Do you recall when, in December of 2022, the U.S. Virgin Islands and victims of Epstein and Maxwell brought a complaint against JPMorgan Chase Bank over the bank's elationship with Epstein?
The complaint alleged that JP Morgan "knowingly facilitated, sustained, and concealed the human trafficking network operated by Jeffrey Epstein"
9 months later they reached a settlement for $75 million.
New ORDER from Judge Currie, who's handling Defense's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment based on Unlawful Appointment of Halligan.
He instructs the gov't to file, "no later than Monday, November 3, 2025, at 5:00 pm, for in camera review, all documents relating to the [Halligan's] participation in the grand jury proceedings, along with complete grand jury transcripts."
It's been a busy past 24 hours or so on the Comey docket, as five amici curiae briefs have been filed in support of Comey and his motions to dismiss.
The groups making these filings are
- Former Senior Officials of the U.S. Dept. of Justice
- University Professors and Scholars
- Protect Democracy Project
- Bipartisan Group of Current and Former Members of Congress
- Former Federal Judges and Former United States Attorneys
Defense files in opposition to prosecution's motion for implementation of a filter team.
A filter team is needed for a set of evidence that was seized per search warrant from one of Comey's attorneys as part of the Arctic Haze investigation.
You may remember we got a bunch of declassified memos on that investigation and ~half dozen others over the summer.
Arctic Haze was focused on finding who leaked classified information to the NYT, specifically the information that appeared in this April 2017 article.
In an announcement yesterday, the U.S. "Special Attorney" for NJ referred to an indictment against two individuals for a hack of the U.S. court systems, among other intrusions.
The indictment and arrests were made alongside partners in U.K. law enforcement.
The individuals are members of the Scattered Spider hacking group.
A DOJ Press Release describes a complaint, filed in NJ, against one of the individuals—Thalha Jubair.
Jubair is a U.K. national and is charged "with conspiracies to commit computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, in relation to at least 120 computer network intrusions and extortion involving 47 U.S. entities. The complaint alleges victims paid at least $115,000,000 in ransom payments."
In November 2023, Binance and its found plead guilty to money laundering, sanctions violations and other offenses.
They agreed to pay $4.3 billion and enter into a monitoring program under DoJ and Treasury.
The failures to comply with sanctions, banking regulations, and antimoney laundering practices resulted Binance handling financial transactions between “U.S. users and users in sanctioned jurisdictions such as Iran, Cuba, Syria, and Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine”.
Binance profited from these transactions, collecting $1.3bil in fees from US customers.