Trump Indictments, page-3384

Trump 'lacked power' to declassify nuclear documents
Sun, 18 June 2023

Even when he was president, Donald Trump lacked the legal authority to declassify a US nuclear weapons-related document that he is charged with illegally possessing, security experts say, contrary to the former US president's claim.

The secret document, listed as No. 19 in the indictment charging Trump with endangering national security, can under the Atomic Energy Act only be declassified through a process that by the statute involves the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

For that reason, the experts said, the nuclear document is unique among the 31 in the indictment because the declassification of the others is governed by executive order......



Without providing evidence, Trump has claimed he declassified the documents before removing them from the White House.

Prosecutors likely will argue that declassification is irrelevant because Trump was charged under the Espionage Act, which predates classification and criminalises the unauthorised retention of "national defence information", a broad term covering any secrets that could be helpful to the nation's enemies.

Document No. 19 is marked "FRD," or Formerly Restricted Data, a classification given to secret information involving the military use of nuclear weapons. The indictment described it as undated and "concerning nuclear weaponry of the United States."

More:-
https://thewest.com.au/politics/trump-lacked-power-to-declassify-nuclear-documents-c-11017850