South Dakota’s U.S. Senators say there’s a clear document declassification process that should be followed by everyone.
The senators are responding to claims from former President Donald Trump that he declassified documents later found at his Florida home.
Trump’s claims come on the heels of an FBI raid last month.
John Thune is the Senate’s second-ranking Republican. He says the FBI raid was “by the book.” During an interview with CNN, he said there's a process for declassifying documents.
“I think it ought to be adhered to and followed,” Thune said.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Trump had no personal interest in those documents and provided no proof that he actually declassified them.
Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds has previously said classified material belongs in a classified setting. Rounds said on CNN he worries about the declassification process.
“Anyone who takes the time to appropriately protect that information and who has taken the time to see what’s in the information, would have serious concerns about how items could be accessed if they’re not stored properly,” Rounds said.
The ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals allows the FBI to resume its investigation of 100 pages of seized, classified documents. Two of the judges on that panel were Trump appointees.
