Two employees of former President Donald Trump reportedly moved boxes of papers the day before Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and a prosecutor were scheduled to visit his Florida home in June 2022.
What Happened: Just before a visit by FBI agents and a prosecutor in early June, two of Trump's employees were seen moving boxes of papers at Mar-a-Lago. A maintenance worker at the former president's private club saw an aide transporting boxes into a storage room, reported The Washington Post. Investigators find this timing suspicious and see it as a potential sign of obstruction.
Furthermore, it has been alleged that Trump and his aides conducted a "dress rehearsal" for moving sensitive documents even before receiving a subpoena in May 2022. Prosecutors have also uncovered evidence suggesting that Trump occasionally kept classified documents in his office, visible to others, and even showed them to certain individuals, stated the report.
The new details of the classified-document investigation have revealed a wider scope of possible obstruction instances than previously reported. The timeline under scrutiny extends from events preceding the subpoena to the aftermath of the FBI raid there on Aug. 8.
This timeline is crucial for prosecutors as they seek to ascertain Trump's intent in retaining classified documents after leaving the White House.
John Irving, a lawyer representing one of the two employees who moved the boxes, claims that the worker didn’t know the contents of the boxes and was just assisting Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, according to the report. "My client saw Mr. Nauta moving the boxes and volunteered to help him," Irving said.
Why It Matters: The grand jury overseeing the case has recently experienced a slowdown in activity, prompting speculation that a charging decision may be getting closer, stated the report. Trump's legal team has taken steps, including outlining a potential defense to Congress and seeking a meeting with the attorney general.
While Trump denies any wrongdoing, his spokesperson has accused the prosecutors of conducting a politically motivated witch hunt and criticized their alleged harassment of Trump's supporters and staff.
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