On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that FBI investigators working on one of the two criminal inquiries led by Special Counsel Jack Smith have new evidence that indicates former President Trump may have obstructed the probe into the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
Sources told the Washington Post that after Trump’s advisors received the May 2022 subpoena demanding the classified records be returned to the National Archives, Trump allegedly looked through some of the boxes stored in Mar-a-Lago to keep some of the documents in his possession.
According to the Post’s sources, investigators also have evidence suggesting that in early 2022, when the National Archives was working with Trump’s team to recover the documents taken from the White House when Trump left office, the former president was instructing others to mislead government officials.
The investigators looking into the classified documents retrieved have been spending much of their time focusing on what happened after the May subpoena was issued, according to the sources.
Special Counsel Jack Smith is looking into whether Trump or any of his people mishandled national security documents and if there is enough evidence to ask a grand jury to charge Trump with obstruction.
The Washington Post attempted to get the FBI and Justice Department officials to comment on the sources’ claims. The FBI referred the Post to the Justice Department for comment. However, the Justice Department did not respond to the Post’s request.
In a statement to the Washington Post, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, said the investigations into the former president “have no basis in facts or law.” Cheung accused the Special Counsel and the DOJ of leaking to the press to manipulate public opinion.
The Special Counsel’s investigations are among the many legal troubles facing the former president, who was just arraigned in Manhattan on charges related to the Stormy Daniels hush money payment.
Trump also faces possible indictment in the Fulton County District Attorney’s probe into whether he attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
