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Judge tells DoD to release incident records at Trump Arlington cemetery

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Judge tells DoD to release incident records at Trump Arlington cemetery

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WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Army officials to release internal records about former President Donald Trump’s controversial August visit to Arlington National Cemetery by the end of the week.

Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the request in response to a lawsuit filed by American Oversight, a nonpartisan group dedicated to getting the government to release records.

American Oversight said it processed the rapid release of military records, including any incident reports from the Aug. 26 incident, following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

“With the election just two weeks away, the American people have a clear and compelling interest in how the government responded to an alleged incident involving a prominent presidential candidate who has a history of politicizing the military,” said Chioma Chukwu, acting executive of the group. director, said in a statement after the order.

The judge’s decision follows Trump’s visit to the US military cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of 13 soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan during the withdrawal of the US military from the country.

A cemetery employee was trying to enforce rules against political campaign activities at the site and was “abruptly removed” by Trump officials, according to an Army statement. The cemetery employee contacted the police but ultimately decided not to press charges.

American Oversight said in a press release Tuesday that the judge agreed “that there was a compelling public interest in sharing information with the public as quickly as possible.”

American Oversight said it filed a FOIA request on Aug. 30 and requested that Arlington expedite processing of its request on Sept. 25. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, also asked the Secretary of the Army for the incident report on Aug. 30.

During oral arguments on Monday, Judge Friedman noted that American Oversight had reached out for dispatch after receiving no response from the Army, the nonprofit said. His court order, he said, gives the Army until Oct. 25 to release the non-exempt portions of the incident report.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump says he and his campaign did nothing wrong

Trump insisted he did nothing wrong, but critics said the Republican candidate was trying to use the ceremony for those killed during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan for political gain.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, said in late August that Trump “disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”

More: ‘Holy ground disrespected’: Harris criticizes Trump over Arlington National Cemetery incident

Some veterans groups have also criticized Trump. In response, Trump raised the issue repeatedly at campaign events, defending his actions.

“They told me I used their graves for public relations and I didn’t,” Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania in late August.

Trump campaign officials said at the time that they had video of the incident that exonerated their employees, but the country resisted public calls to free them.

Army says rules ‘clearly prohibit political activities in cemeteries’

Trump was accused of violating the ban on campaigning in one of the country’s most sacred public places. After some veterans expressed outrage over his campaign’s actions, Army officials appeared to indirectly rebuke the Trump campaign for “unfairly” criticizing the professionalism of the cemetery worker involved in the incident.

The Army said those who participated in the ceremony and visit to Section 60, which contains the graves of recent U.S. victims, were informed of federal law, Army regulations and Department of Defense policies that “clearly prohibit political activities in cemeteries.” Trump’s campaign team was photographing and filming at the location.

Trump said he was invited by the families of service members killed in combat and felt compelled to participate in the event despite scheduling challenges.

“I don’t need publicity,” he said.

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