If you google OPSEC you will find:
Operational security (OPSEC) is a security and risk management process that prevents sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands.
What this means to most people is, “don’t fuck around with classified information, or else.” For many of us the “or else” can mean anything from losing your job to winding up in jail. It’s serious for a reason. The disclosure of classified information to unapproved sources means a level of harm to America. The nation. Her people.
In other words, mishandling classified information is worse than just being a criminal, it can equate to being a traitor, a criminal, and treasonous murderer. Mishandling Top Secret documents means all of the previous, and worse, because to be granted a Top Secret clearance you had to commit to a life-long adherence to protecting the information you are granted access to.
Of course you don’t just take it home with you. Only a fucking idiot would do that.
Declassifying information depends on a lot of things. Note, for example, that files from 1963 pertaining to JFK were only declassified in 2017. 54 years later. Not days. Not months. Certainly not in the hours after losing an election.
When ordinary people egregiously mishandle classified documents they get handed a can of whupass. It shouldn’t matter who you were at the time when you were given access, the point is the penalties are and should be severe.
The prior administration saw a lot of firsts. I look forward to dickhead spending his time in jail for stealing classified government documents and handling them inappropriately. And I look forward to the GOP explaining why it was ok when it isn’t, wasn’t, and can never be.
This should be fun.