Trump’s lawyers visit Justice Department as investigation into classified documents draws to a close

Attorneys for former President Donald J. Trump met Monday at the Justice Department with officials, including special counsel Jack Smith, two weeks after requesting a meeting to discuss the issues. their concerns about Mr. Smith’s investigation into Mr. Trump, according to two people familiar with the matter. with problem.

The meeting did not include Attorney General Merrick B. Garland or Lisa O. Monaco, deputy attorney general, and it is unclear what exact topics were discussed. But the visit comes amid signs that prosecutors in the special counsel’s office are nearing the end of an investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents. It also comes at a time when Mr. Trump’s advisers have concluded that there may not be much time left to stop the charges, the people said.

The lawyers — James Trusty, John Rowley and Lindsey Halligan — left the Justice Department after nearly two hours. They refused to speak to reporters.

Shortly after their visit, Mr Trump posted a message on his social media platform, Truth Social, suggesting that his legal team had at least discussed with him the possibility of him being prosecuted. element.

“How can DOJ accuse me who did nothing wrong,” Trump wrote in capital letters.

Tim Parlatore, a lawyer resigns Trump’s representative said last month that the former president’s legal team had been concerned for some time about how prosecutors working for Smith had conducted their investigation of classified documents.

“I have long been concerned about the way DOJ staff conduct this investigation,” Mr. Parlatore said. “No matter what the evidence suggests, if your prosecution team has engaged in misconduct, it is a relevant factor to consider when making any conviction, especially in a criminal case. political importance.”

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mr. Smith, declined to comment.

The meeting at the Justice Department comes as prosecutors are still pursuing several avenues of investigation in the document case.

Prosecutors are expected to question a new witness before a federal grand jury sitting in Florida later this week, according to people familiar with the matter. At least one other witness appeared before the Florida grand jury, separate from the witness who sat for months in Washington. It is not clear why the second grand jury took testimony in Florida.

Prosecutors are also interested in an October incident in which a worker drained a pool at Mar-a-Lago, causing water damage in a room containing storage servers. stores digital logs for the complex’s security cameras, according to a person familiar with the case. problem. The concern of prosecutors in the pool incident is previous report of CNN.

In recent weeks, Mr. Smith’s office has delved into the question of whether Mr. Trump and some of his aides sought to interfere with government efforts to obtain security camera footage from Mar-a-Lago that could shed light on how documents are stored at the property and who has access to them.

The prosecutor also studied Recorded audio notes conducted by Mr. Trump’s attorney, M. Evan Corcoran. The notes relate to last year’s period when Mr. Corcoran represented Mr. Trump following a subpoena from the Justice Department demanding the return of all classified documents in the former president’s possession.

The notes also include a search Mr Corcoran conducted last June in response to a subpoena for any relevant records kept at Mar-a-Lago. Mr. Corcoran was forced to hand over the notes after prosecutors convinced a federal judge that they had enough evidence of a crime to violate the attorney-client privilege, which would normally protect the document from scrutiny.

in one a one-page letter from Mr. Trump’s lawyers to Mr. Garland, which Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social account on May 23, the lawyers did not cite any specific complaints from his legal team, but instead broadly asserted that Mr. Trump has been unfairly treated by the Justice Department through investigations led by Mr. Blacksmith. Along with the classified documents case, prosecutors under Smith are also scrutinizing efforts by Trump and his aides to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.

The letter to Mr. Garland is a shortened version of a longer letter that details the concerns of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, according to two people familiar with the matter. Those include the ways grand juries have been used in special counsel investigations and vigorous efforts to protect the attorneys involved in the cases, the public. speak.

Mr. Trusty, who has worked at the Department of Justice for more than two decades, knows Mr. Smith well: The two worked together a decade ago, when Mr. Trusty was a senior prosecutor in the criminal division of the department. and Mr. Trusty is a senior prosecutor in the department’s criminal division. Smith is the head of the public integrity unit.

Trump legal team’s first visit to Justice Department report of CBS News, comes as there are indications Mr. Smith may soon make a decision on whether to prosecute the allegations in the documents lawsuit. The status of his other line of investigation, into Mr. Trump’s efforts to reverse his election defeat and how they contributed to his supporters’ attack on the Capitol. January 6, 2021, still unclear.

According to people who spoke to him, Mr. Trump is expected to face charges in the document investigation, although that does not mean he has been assured that the charges are being made. waiting for progressing.

Prosecutors said in legal documents last year that they were investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents he took with him when he left office and whether he obstructed the government’s efforts to obtain them. them or not. He voluntarily returned two batches of documents last year, and FBI agents obtained more during an August raid at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence. it’s in Florida.

In his Truth Social post, Mr Trump compared his case to that of President Biden, who was also found to have been in possession of classified documents from his time as vice president and who is also being prosecuted. a special advisor oversees. Mr. Trump also mentioned the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

The first letter from his attorneys to Garland was a direct confrontation, accusing officials at the Justice Department of showing favoritism against Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who are being held by the Department of Justice. criminal investigation.

By sending the letter, Mr. Trump relied on a commonly used playbook in which he argued that a judge or prosecutor was treating him unfairly by investigating him.

Below regulations of the Ministry of JusticeMr. Garland will play only a limited role in whether Mr. Smith decides to prosecute Mr. Trump.

The Attorney General can dismiss the special counsel in a particular case: If Mr. Garland determines that the prosecutor’s actions would be “inappropriate or unwarranted under established departmental practice, should not be pursued.” Mr. Garland must also disclose that to Congress and explain any such interference when the special counsel’s investigation is over.

William K. Rashbaum contribution report.