Mr. Trump’s motive for having thousands of presidential records — including more than 300 classified documents — at Mar-a-Lago, his combination residence and members-only club in Palm Beach, Fla., was not addressed directly in the 49-page indictment filed on Thursday in Miami.
The charging document did not establish that Mr. Trump had a broader goal beyond simply possessing the material.
While finding a motive could certainly be useful for prosecutors should Mr. Trump end up at trial, it may not be necessary in proving the legal elements of the case against him.
Nonetheless, why Mr. Trump held onto an extensive collection of highly confidential documents and then, prosecutors say, schemed to avoid returning them remains an unanswered question — even after nearly 15 months of investigation by the Justice Department.
In a recording of the meeting, Mr. Trump can be heard rustling paper and telling those around him that the document in question proved that he was right in his dispute with General Milley.
Persons:
Donald J, Trump, —, Mark, General Milley
Organizations:
Justice Department, Joint Chiefs, Staff
Locations:
Mar, Palm Beach, Fla, Miami, Iran, Bedminster, New Jersey