On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that “close associates” of Donald Trump expect the Justice Department’s Jack Smith–led investigation into his handling of classified documents to result in an indictment—which, for those of you keeping up at home, would make him the first president in US history to be indicted twice. (To be clear, he’s also the first president in US history to be indicted once.) And according to a new report, Trump’s own legal team is making just the same prediction.
According to Rolling Stone, several attorneys representing Trump—as well as political advisers—have “bluntly informed him that they expect the Justice Department to charge him in the criminal investigation into his hoarding of highly classified documents following the end of his presidency,” according to two people familiar with the matter. While reportedly insisting to the former guy that they believe the probe is “bullshit,” these people have nevertheless apparently told him that “they would be surprised at this point if he wasn’t charged—particularly for alleged obstruction of justice—and have urged Trump to prepare for yet another historic fight.” As one of the sources put it to the outlet: “Looks like they’re going for it. People close to the [former] president have discussed with him what we think is going to happen soon, and how he and everyone else needs to be ready for it…it would be crazy not to.”
Not surprisingly, Trump, in at least one of theses chats, has reacted “angrily,” asking, “What about Joe Biden?” (Classified documents were found at several locations used by Biden, and shortly thereafter, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed another special counsel to investigate the matter. Documents were also found at former vice president Mike Pence’s home. An important point that appears to elude the ex-president: Neither the president nor Pence refused to comply with a government request to retrieve the documents.) In April, Trump’s former attorney general Bill Barr said in an interview that the classified-documents probe was the one Trump should be “most concerned about.” In another interview earlier this month, he told CBS News: “He wouldn’t get in trouble, probably, just for taking them…. The problem is what did he do after the government asked for them back and subpoenaed them. And if there’s any games being played there, he’s going to be very exposed.”
Speaking of what Trump did after the government asked for him to return the documents—which they began requesting in May 2021—here’s a new and interesting report from The Washington Post:
According to the Post, Jack Smith’s team has also found evidence that before Trump was subpoenaed—but well after the government had started asking for the documents to be returned—he conducted a “dress rehearsal” for moving documents he didn’t want to give back. And, that he “at times kept classified documents in his office in a place where they were visible and sometimes showed them to others,” according to people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors also reportedly said in an August filing they had evidence that “obstructive conduct” took place in response to the May 2022 subpoena.
Bess Levin
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