Trump
James Trusty, Trump’s lawyer, stated Sunday that no classified documents were found at the former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
Chuck Todd, NBC News, asked Trusty if he can be certain that there aren’t classified documents or copies at Mar-a-Lago. This was after reports that Trump’s legal staff had given additional materials to investigators.
Trusty replied, “Yes, sure.” “And I can assure you that the leak about the contents of this additional document or the other documents found on the thumb drive is absurd.”
CNN was told by sources this year that Trump’s aide made copies in 2017 of classified documents that his lawyers found in December in boxes at Mar-a-Lago, before they were handed to the Justice Department.
“It’s the same mischaracterization that media has used to suggest that President Trump is just sitting on an mountain of documents. Trusty stated that it’s not true.
Trusty, a former Justice Department colleague and special counsel Jack Smith, was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Trump’s handlings of classified documents. He called it a “campaign for leaks”
According to people familiar with the matter the Washington Post reported last week that the FBI and the Justice Department have collected new evidence that suggests that Trump may have been obstruction in the documents case.
Trusty stated that there has been a campaign to leak DOJ information unlike anything she’s ever seen. “I was a prosecutor 27 years. I spent 17 years at this Department of Justice. It’s not something I recognize anymore.”
When it searched Mar-a-Lago, Florida in August, the FBI found a treasure trove of top-secret and other highly classified documents. The FBI also discovered classified materials in the possession of President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Garland has appointed two separate special counsels for the investigation of Trump and Biden documents. He has not appointed a special attorney to review the Pence documents.
William Barr, the former Trump Attorney General, stated Sunday that he believes investigators have “probably some very good evidence” regarding the probe into the former President’s handling of classified documents.
Barr stated that he had no claim on those documents, particularly the classified ones, in an interview with ABC News’ “This Week.” “They were owned by the government.” So I believe he was jerking at the government and they subpoenaed him. They tried to force him to deliver documents.
“But the government is looking into the extent to which games have been played and obstruction in keeping records from them. Barr said that he believes this is a serious case.
According to a source briefed on proceedings, a federal judge ruled that Smith’s office had presented enough evidence to prove that Trump committed a crime through the attorneys he employed in the classified documents probe.
Washington U.S. District Judge Beryl Howard was not going to rule on Trump’s guilt of a crime. He was only going to decide if his attorney could be compelled or not.
Howell ruled in favor applying the “crimefraud” exception. This would allow prosecutors not to use attorney-client privilege protections that were available to Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran. Howell also ordered Corcoran testify before a federal grand jury.
Trump has denied wrongdoing regarding the classified documents. He claimed last year that he could declassify materials “by just thinking about it.”
Summer Concepcion
Summer Concepcion works as a reporter on politics for NBC News.
