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Copy That [1]

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Date: 2022-08-26

What the hell?

OK. TFG took government-owned documents home with him and even took some notes, literally, on them: “Several of the documents also contained what appears to be FPOTUS’s handwritten notes.”

Now, if I were TFG (but I’m not because I’m not that malevolent), I’d make some copies of the most important documents, like the love letters from Kim Jung-Un and the ones with my name on them (“My Precious!”). TFG loves to be fluffed.

But, how would the FBI know that TFG made copies of these or other documents before turning them over or having them forcibly removed from his house, or had stuffed the boxes that the FBI took with those copies? I mean, Trump loves to collect important and original stuff, like Shaq’s basketball shoe.

Now, if I were the FBI (or the CIA, NSA, Star Chamber, or whatever other secret agencies there are that produces documents), I’d make damn sure that I had ways of detecting such unscrupulous activities.

As everyone knows, Section 18 U.S.C. squiggle 1519 says in part: “ (a) Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, yada, yada, yada….”

Well, there is a way that alters the original copies without really damaging the documents or the information contained on them (not ideal but good enough for government work) and would satisfy the “alters” condition under Section 18 U.S.C. squiggle 1519. It would kind of work like Sun Print Paper, except in a more sophisticated and subtle way. The chemical alterations made by a copier lamp would change some of the chemical components in the sensitive document paper. Maybe not enough to be seen by the naked eye but these changes could be detected using sophisticated equipment.

Well, what about those copies the FBI got instead of the original documents. Well, a certified forensic document examiner can distinguish a copy from the original and enjoys the added bonus of being able to testify in court. Oh, and did you know that many color copiers print tracking dots on each page of a copy? Yep. They are used to identify the device which was used to print a document and gives clues as to the originator. Any federal document with some color picture that was copied using a color copier may very well have those tracking dots.

And just for kicks, everyone knows that Section 18 U.S.C squiggle 793 states: “[w]hoever having unauthorized possession of, access to, or control over any documents...yada, yada, yada...the possessor...yada, yada, yada...willfully communicates, delivers, transmits...yada, yada, yada...to any person not entitled to receive it...yada, yada, yada….” gets in trouble.

So, if any US agency notices some domestic or foreign actors acting in a way that indicates they are acting based on information only found in documents squirrelled away by TFG… Well, sucks to be him.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/26/2118987/-Copy-That

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