In Somerset County, Casey weighs in on Trump document probe

Sep. 2—STOYSTOWN, Pa. — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., in a visit to Somerset County on Thursday, compared his experience handling sensitive government information to the recent FBI search that led to the finding of "secret," "top secret" and "classified" documents at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

"I know from my work that when I read a document in the so-called 'SCIF' (secure compartmented information facility) area of the Capitol, I have to go to that room," said Casey. "I have to leave my phone and, if I have an iPad, I have to leave that outside the room. I go in the room, and I either look at a written briefing, or (get) a briefing from briefers — an oral briefing — or both, and then I leave that room, and I can't disclose what was told to me or what I read.

"That's the way you're supposed to handle that kind of information, whether you're a senator, a House member, a current president or a former president — and that didn't happen here. I mean, it's obvious now. Even the former president and his team have admitted that these are classified documents that were down in Florida."

Casey, a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said that, in his opinion, Trump having the documents created "all kind of concerns for our national security."

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for taking a picture of some documents displayed on a floor at Mar-a-Lago. Only cover pages, which did not include sensitive information, were visible in the photos. No proof has been provided that the documents were declassified.

"Terrible the way the FBI, during the Raid of Mar-a-Lago, threw documents haphazardly all over the floor (perhaps pretending it was me that did it!)," Trump wrote, "and then started taking pictures of them for the public to see. Thought they wanted them kept Secret? Lucky I Declassified!"

Along with discussing the documents, Casey talked about President Joe Biden's speech that, at the time, was upcoming on Thursday night in Philadelphia. Casey left for the event right after visiting Somerset County.

"This is a critical moment for our democracy because we have an election coming up in 2022 and then a presidential election in 2024, which will be impacted by some of the debates that we've been having over the last 18 months to two years," Casey said. "We settled an election in 2020, I think, in the minds of most Americans. But there are still some who are lying about the last election.

"If this persists and you have actions taken based upon that lie, where you have state officials who might not certify an election or undermine the votes of the people or somehow change the results, that's the real threat to democracy — not to mention voting rights legislation in various states which would undermine the right to vote and really threaten our democracy."

Trump contends that the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden, was stolen from him.

"So now it comes out, conclusively, that the FBI BURIED THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY BEFORE THE ELECTION knowing that, if they didn't, 'Trump would have easily won the 2020 Presidential Election,' " Trump recently posted. "This is massive FRAUD & ELECTION INTERFERENCE at a level never seen before in our Country. REMEDY: Declare the rightful winner or, and this would be the minimal solution, declare the 2020 Election irreparably compromised and have a new Election, immediately!"

Trump and his allies filed more than 60 state and federal lawsuits challenging aspects of the election. All but one were rejected for lack of merit or standing.