(FiveNation.com)- Federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into former President Donald Trump and other administration officials to see if classified information that ended up at his Mar-a-Lago residence was mishandled.
The New York Times claimed that “the Justice Department has taken a series of actions in recent days signaling that its investigation has gone beyond the preliminary stages.” Prosecutors sent a subpoena to the National Archives and Records Administration to collect the boxes of secret records,
The probe stems from the National Archives’ discovery earlier this year that Trump had taken 15 boxes of government documents from the White House, including “materials labeled as confidential national security information.”
A Trump spokesman said the former President consistently handled all papers in compliance with the law and regulations. They feel these attempts to prosecute are misguided and politically motivated.
According to ta report, the primary goal of these investigations is for federal authorities to ascertain whether any secret information has been compromised so that intelligence personnel can take action to preserve critical sources and methods.
Prosecutors want to know everything about the documents’ handling from when they left the White House to when they were returned to the National Archives.
In the case of Mr. Trump, legal experts said, presidents have the power to declassify whatever information they want while in office, complicating any potential prosecution.
According to federal law, the classified materials in question are presidential records. Mr. Trump’s lawyers were aware of the Justice Department’s request as a result of this distinction, allowing them the opportunity to prevent their publication by petitioning the court to quash the subpoena. It’s unclear whether the attorneys have responded.
Prosecutors would need evidence that the persons involved in removing the documents from the White House were aware that the materials were classified and that removing them would be illegal.
The former president is also the subject of a grand jury investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into whether he and others illegally attempted to sway the 2020 presidential election. However, it is unclear what charges Willis may bring in the case, which has been ongoing for more than a year.
