Justice Department nears possible indictment of former President Trump

Jun 08, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Reporter/Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Reporter/Producer)

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The Justice Department is nearing a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump over his mishandling of classified documents, sources familiar with the matter have told the New York Times. The New York Times has also reported that prosecutors have sent a letter to Trump’s legal team, indicating that he is the target of their criminal investigation.

The focus of the investigation revolves around the more than 100 classified documents seized during a search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida last year.

Federal law prohibits officials from removing or retaining documents at an unauthorized location. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Trump had repeatedly claimed he has the authority as president to declassify any documents.

CNN reported in late May that tape recordings reviewed by their sources captured Trump acknowledging that he retained a classified Pentagon document and was aware of his limited ability to declassify documents. The details of documents that may have been in Trump’s possession remain unclear.

Classified material usually contains information that officials feel could damage national security if made public, the BBC reported.

Currently, two federal grand juries are hearing evidence related to Trump’s case. One is in Washington, D.C., and the other is in Miami, Florida.

The Washington grand jury has reportedly heard testimony from numerous witnesses, including low-level workers at Mar-a-Lago and over 20 members of Trump’s Secret Service detail, as reported by The New York Times. Meanwhile, the Miami grand jury has also heard from multiple witnesses in recent weeks, including one of Trump’s former aides on Wednesday, May 31.

Trump’s lawyers met at the Justice Department on Monday, June 5 with officials including special counsel Jack Smith, part of an effort by the legal team to raise concerns about what they say is prosecutorial misconduct and to try to argue against a potential indictment.

Trump has taken to social media to criticize the case and the numerous other investigations he currently faces.

If charges are brought forward, Trump’s former attorney has said he believes the indictment would take place in Florida.

While some experts suggest that a decision on indictment could be reached in the coming weeks, no specific date has been set. Another indictment would mark Trump’s second indictment as he campaigns once again to be president.

Tags: Classified documents, Donald Trump, Mar-a-Lago, Media Landscape, Trump investigations, U.S. Department of Justice

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS MOVING CLOSER TO A POSSIBLE INDICTMENT OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP OVER HIS MISHANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

PROSECUTORS REPORTEDLY ISSUING THE TRUMP TEAM WITH A LETTER WEDNESDAY – INDICATING HE IS *THE* TARGET OF A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO THE MORE THAN 100 CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS THAT WERE SEIZED FROM THE INFAMOUS SEARCH AT TRUMP’S MAR-A-LAGO HOME IN FLORIDA LAST YEAR … US LAW MAKES IT ILLEGAL FOR FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO REMOVE OR RETAIN DOCUMENTS AT AN UNAUTHORIZED LOCATION – *TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED ANY WRONGDOING*

WHILE TRUMP HAS STOOD FIRM IN HIS CLAIM THAT HE HAS THE PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY TO DECLASSIFY DOCUMENTS – TAPE RECORDINGS RECENTLY REVIEWED BY CNN REPORTEDLY CAPTURE TRUMP ACKNOWLEDGING HE *ONE* KEPT A CLASSIFIED PENTAGON DOCUMENT AND *TWO* THAT HE WAS AWARE OF HIS LIMITED ABILITY TO DECLASSIFY DOCUMENTS

THAT STORY BROKE IN THE LAST WEEK OF MAY AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON OUR MEDIA MISS TOOL IT WAS MOSTLY BEING REPORTED ON BY CENTER AND LEFT LEANING NEWS OUTLETS .. RIGHT LEANING MEDIA UNDERREPORTED THE STORY .. WE’RE MAKING THAT CLEAR SO YOU CAN JUST STRAIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON A STORY ONE SIDE MAY NEGLECT

RIGHT NOW THERE’S TWO FEDERAL GRAND JURIES HEARING THE EVIDENCE AROUND TRUMP’S CASE – ONE IN WASHINGTON AND ONE IN MIAMI

THE NYTIMES REPORTS THE JURY IN WASHINGTON HAS HEARD FROM NUMEROUS WITNESSES RANGING FROM LOW LEVEL WORKERS AT MAR A LAGO TO MORE THAN 20 MEMBERS OF TRUMP’S SECRET SERVICE DETAIL

MEANWHILE THE GRAND JURY IN MIAMI HAS ALSO HEARD FROM NUMEROUS WITNESSES INCLUDING A FORMER TRUMP AIDE THIS PAST WEDNESDAY –

THE AP REPORTS TRUMP’S LEGAL TEAM MET WITH DOJ OFFICIALS TO ARGUE AGAINST HIS INDICTMENT, THEY’RE ALLEGING PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT … AND TRUMP HIMSELF HAS TAKEN TO SOCIAL MEDIA – SLAMMING THE CASE ALONG WITH THE NUMEROUS OTHER INVESTIGATIONS HE CURRENTLY FACES…

SHOULD CHARGES BE BROUGHT TRUMP’S FORMER ATTORNEY SAYS IT WOULD ALL GO DOWN IN FLORIDA

WHILE SOME EXPERTS SPECULATE AN INDICTMENT DECISION COULD BE REACHED IN THE COMING WEEKS – THERE IS NO SET DATE .. IF AN INDICTMENT IS MADE HOWEVER IT WOULD BE TRUMP’S SECOND INDICTMENT ON THE TRAIL AS HE RUNS FOR A SECOND TERM IN THE WHITE HOUSE …