The US Department of Justice has released a new document in which prosecutors present evidence that exPresident Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice. In the report, they publicly allege for the first time that Trump’s aides lied in June that the former president returned all government documents he kept at his home after he left the White House in January 2021. It shows documents the FBI found in the search of the MaraLago mansion had been confiscated in early August.
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The Justice Department claims it has evidence that confidential documents were deliberately withheld from the FBI when the institution attempted to recover them at the property in June, leading to an unprecedented FBI search operation at his home.
The document presented on Tuesday evening (30) has 54 pages. Prosecutors also revealed that Trump’s lawyers “specifically prohibited government officials from opening any of the boxes or looking into a storage room” when FBI agents first traveled to his MaraLago resort in Palm Beach in June to to get the records.
2 of 3 aerial view of Donald Trump’s mansion in MaraLago, Florida — Photo: Steve Helber/AP
Aerial view of Donald Trump’s mansion in MaraLago, Florida — Photo: Steve Helber/AP
“The government has also developed evidence that government records were likely hidden and removed from storage and that efforts were made to obstruct the government’s investigation,” the department said in a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The Justice Department’s statement comes shortly before a hearing before Judge Aileen Cannon in West Palm Beach on Thursday. She is considering Trump’s request to appoint a special expert who would conduct an insider review of documents seized in MaraLago on Aug. 8, many of which were classified as classified.
The August 8 search of Trump’s home was a significant escalation of one of several federal and state investigations Trump is facing. The Justice Department said Tuesday it had made multiple attempts to recover all of the former president’s records.
But it still cites evidence that more footage remained at Maralago and was hidden from investigators.
3 of 3 The surgery at Trump’s mansion comes amid news that the Republican is preparing to run for the White House again in 2024 Photo: Portal
The surgery at Trump’s mansion comes amid news that the Republican is preparing to run for the White House again in 2024 (Picture: Portal)
The FBI subsequently removed 33 additional boxes and other items during its Aug. 8 search, some of which were marked “top secret” — the tier reserved for the country’s bestkept secrets.
Trump’s defense of withholding the materials has changed, and he has found no reason why he did not return all of the records.