Florida grand jury involved in Justice Department probe into Trump documents

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are recruiting a Florida grand jury as part of an investigation into possible mishandling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach compound, people familiar with the matter say. officials said Tuesday night.

A grand jury has been meeting in Washington for months to consider charges against Trump for potentially sabotaging government efforts to restore records by storing hundreds of classified documents in Mar-a-Lago. added to another committee.

It’s not clear why the prosecution will use an additional grand jury, but a person who insisted on anonymity told the Associated Press to discuss the secret proceedings and which witnesses may testify before the grand jury. .

A grand jury in Washington has had a variety of witnesses in the last year, including Trump’s lawyers, former presidential aides and members of the Trump Organization. But the recruitment of another grand jury in Florida suggests prosecutors may also be eyeing at least some potential indictments in the state.

The Mar-a-Lago investigation, led by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution team, is believed to be in the final stages and a decision to indict is expected soon. Mr. Trump’s lawyers met with Mr. Smith and other officials at the Justice Department on Monday, a move by the defense team to express concern about what the prosecution has alleged to be illegal and to try to refute a potential indictment. It’s part of the effort.

The investigation will focus not only on possession of classified documents, including top-secret levels, but also on President Trump’s refusal to return the records to requests and possible obstruction. The FBI issued a subpoena last year for classified records at the facility, but it returned with a search warrant after it suspected Trump and his agents had not returned all the papers. and recovered an additional 100 confidential-marked documents.

Investigators are questioning a Trump associate who was caught on surveillance camera moving a box of documents in Mar-a-Lago. As part of a sabotage investigation centered on some surveillance footage, they just recently drained the resort’s swimming pool last October, causing flooding on the property, according to another person, who spoke on conditional terms. It is said that he is interested in the conduct that caused it. anonymity.