Quote (JessiWan @ Aug 16 2022 02:46pm)
Did the pertinent authority ask him to return the documents but he literally said no?
You haven't definitively proven that he has committed a crime. In fact, I would say the raid showed that there was no crime yet. The FBI raided his home because they were hoping to find something that would help them to charge him with a crime. They were hoping to find evidence of wrongdoing.
unlawful possession of classified materials is a crime. your assertion that he should have been allowed to return them is fine, that's your opinion, and perhaps even what the DOJ could do, but it's not a legal obligation for them. your assertion is akin to the IRS kindly asking you to pay your taxes, when the reality is the law states it is unlawful not to pay them and the IRS isn't obligated to beg you to pay them. instead they just send you a letter letting you know you're about to be arrested if you don't.
the serving of a search warrant is always to find evidence of an alleged crime, and that appears to be what it found, evidence of a committed crime. that doesnt mean he'll be formally charged, there's no mandatory filing requirement im aware of.
"its not a crime because they havent asked him to return them" is such an odd take. next i assume you'll pivot to whether it should be a crime, not missing a beat from your claim it wasn't a crime in the first place.