Ex-FBI agent warns state secrets at risk after Trump victory

A former FBI special agent has issued a stark warning to the US intelligence community as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House for a second term.

Writing on X, Asha Rangappa urged intelligence officials to act quickly in order to safeguard any sensitive information before he retakes office.

'I hope the IC uses the next couple of months to protect its sources because our national security secrets are about to be sold to the highest bidder,' she wrote.

Rangappa, a frequent critic of Trump, has repeatedly raised concerns about the former president's impact on national security.

She has suggested that Trump's history of deceptive behavior and his ties to Russia point to possible leverage, or 'kompromat,' held over him by foreign powers.

Last month it emerged how Trump has kept in regular touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office – holding more than a handful of phone calls with him, according to bombshell allegations in Bob Woodward's new book.

Woodward describes the extent of the contacts and attributes them to a Trump aide in his new book War, CNN reported.

There were 'maybe as many as seven' after Trump left office in 2021, Woodward writes. And the timeline extends until after Putin's bloody invasion of Ukraine .

The intervening period has featured brutal missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and town, and a resulting flood of U.S. and allied sanctions against Russia as well as Putin and members of his circle.

Trump has stated repeatedly at his campaign events that Russia never would have invaded Ukraine if he had still been in office.

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Trump also sent Putin a secret stash of Abbott covid test machines 'for his personal use,' Woodward reports.

It came at a time of gestures of solidarity as the pandemic spread, but Putin reportedly wanted to keep it hush-hush.

'Please don't tell anybody you sent these to me,' Putin told Trump, according to Woodward. 'I don't care,' Trump told him. 'Fine.'

'I don't want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me,' Putin told him, the Washington Post reported.

Although there is no concrete evidence Trump sold classified information during his first term, allegations did surface that he shared highly sensitive defense details with guests at his private clubs in Florida and New Jersey .

Such incidents formed the basis of federal charges brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith.

The charges were ultimately dismissed by Trump appointee Judge Aileen Cannon who citied a unique legal interpretation put forward by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The judge ruled that Smith's appointment as special counsel did not meet proper legal standards and was not properly appointed to the special counsel role.

Smith had planned to appeal the decision but there are now suggestions he will stead down and ultimately wrap up both the outstanding cases against Trump including the classified documents case and election conspiracy investigation.

Such a move would fall into line with a longstanding Department of Justice policy that limit the pursuit of criminal charges against a sitting president.

The two other federal criminal cases against Donald Trump are likely to be wound down before he gets into the White House .

Smith is in talks with the Justice Department to end the January 6 and classified documents prosecutions, NBC News reported on Wednesday.

It's an enormous blow for Smith who ramped up the cases in the final months of the campaigns and has spent almost three years and more than $35million in taxpayer funds trying to bring the 78-year-old to trial.

Trump still faces sentencing in the New York hush money trial next month and the election interference case in Georgia headed by District Attorney Fani Wills has been beset by a slew of problems.