(PatriotWise.com) — On the day before a federal prosecutor and FBI agents were scheduled to visit Mar-a-Lago in June 2022 to retrieve classified records as part of a subpoena, two of Donald Trump’s staff moved boxes containing documents, the timing of which investigators find suspicious, the Washington Post reported last Thursday.
According to people familiar with the DOJ’s investigation, Trump and his aides also reportedly staged a “dress rehearsal” for moving sensitive documents long before Trump received the May 2022 subpoena.
Additionally, prosecutors have gathered evidence indicating that Trump kept classified records in his office at times in places where they were visible and allegedly showed them off to others, the sources told the Washington Post.
These new details, when taken together, suggest that the FBI and Department of Justice have even more evidence of possible obstruction on the part of the former president than has been reported previously.
According to the Washington Post, these details also broaden the timeline of possible incidents of obstruction, now stretching from before the May 2022 subpoena to the time after the FBI’s August 8 raid on Mar-a-Lago.
The additional details could prove vital as prosecutors with the special counsel’s investigation seek to determine the former president’s intent in retaining hundreds of classified documents after leaving office. Intent is a key factor in deciding whether to bring charges against Trump for obstruction, mishandling of classified records, or both.
In October, the Washington Post reported that the boxes of records were moved out of the storage area after Trump received the May 2022 subpoena. However, sources told the Post that the precise timing of this move is a vital element to the investigation.
In recent weeks, grand jury activity in the investigation has slowed while Trump’s lawyers have taken certain steps that suggest they believe an indictment is imminent.
After months of activity at the DC federal courthouse, the grand jury has not met since May 5, the panel’s longest break since December after Jack Smith was appointed special counsel.
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