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The two cases, stemming from the efforts of Mr. Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, rely on many of the same facts, documents and witnesses. But as Monday’s court skirmishes demonstrated, the approaches of the two prosecutors in charge of the investigations — Jack Smith, the Justice Department’s special counsel, and Fani T. Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County — could not be more different. Mr. Smith took over the two federal Trump investigations with a promise to move rapidly in hopes of wrapping up legal proceedings before the 2024 election, and the indictment handed down against Mr. Trump on Aug. 1 included just four counts. While it referred to six unindicted co-conspirators, only Mr. Trump was charged. By contrast, the indictment brought by Ms. Willis includes 41 counts against the former president and encompassed allegations against his long roster of co-defendants.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith, Willis, Smith, Mark Meadows, Trump’s Organizations: Trump, Mr, White House Locations: Washington, Fulton County ,, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia

☆ In Opposing Gun Program, Lawmaker Omitted His Store Was Subject to It
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Representative Andrew Clyde has been in Congress only since 2021, but he has quickly emerged as a vocal opponent of gun control, handing out dozens of AR-15 pins to exemplify his wide-ranging push to roll back federal firearms regulation. At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing in April, Mr. Clyde, Republican of Georgia, grilled the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Steven M. Dettelbach, about a little-known program to monitor gun dealers found selling large numbers of weapons later traced to crimes. Mr. Clyde suggested the program, known as Demand 2, was unfair, questioned whether all crimes linked to such guns were “bona fide,” and exhibited a detailed knowledge of its inner workings — even though it applies to only a tiny percentage of gun dealers nationwide. What Mr. Clyde did not disclose was that one of two gun stores he owns in Georgia, Clyde Armory in Athens, was placed in the monitoring program in 2020 and 2021, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the gun safety group Brady. inspectors made the designation after they found that more than 25 guns sold there had been used in crimes within three years of their purchase.

Persons: Andrew Clyde, Clyde, Steven M, Brady, A.T.F Organizations: Republican, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Clyde Armory Locations: Georgia, Athens

The July indictment accused Mr. Trump, Mr. De Oliveira and Mr. Nauta of trying to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage. The government had requested a trial date in December, while Mr. Trump’s lawyers asked for an indefinite postponement. Once he was sworn in as president, Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen. Rather than publish her account, the tabloid suppressed it in cooperation with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, prosecutors say. Ms. Maddock, who has close ties to Mr. Trump and is married to Matt Maddock, a state representative, accused Ms. Nessel of “a personal vendetta.”“This is part of a national coordinated” effort to stop Mr. Trump, she added.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Jack Smith, Fani, Willis, Mr, Alvin L, Bragg, Rudolph W, Giuliani, Mark Meadows, —, “, ” Mr, Brad Raffensperger, Joseph R, Biden, Emily Kohrs, “ You’re, ”, Ms, Smith’s, Smith, Prosecutors, Mike Pence, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Nauta, ’, Stormy Daniels, Michael D, Cohen, Daniels, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Bragg’s, Juan M, Merchan, “ Trump, Merchan’s, Cyrus R, Vance Jr, Daniels’s, Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway, Allen H, Weisselberg, Mimi E, Rocah, Letitia James, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Ivanka Trump, Michigan’s “, Dana Nessel, Meshawn Maddock, Maddock, Matt Maddock, Nessel, Wright Blake, Mayra Rodriguez, Kris Mayes, Richie Taylor, Maggie Haberman, Glenn Thrush, Jonah E, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Michael Gold, Michael Rothfeld, Ed Shanahan, Richard Fausset, Ashley Wong Organizations: Mr, Democrat, New, New York City, White House, Department, Georgia Republican Party, Trump, The New York Times, Capitol, Federal, Court, Congress, Justice Department, Mar, Manhattan, National Enquirer, Trump Tower, U.S, National, Trump Organization, Trump National Golf Club Westchester, New York, Civil, Michigan, Michigan Republican Party Locations: Manhattan, Georgia, Fulton County, Lago, New York, United States, Washington, Palm Beach, Fla, Mar, Lower Manhattan, Westchester County, Michigan, Arizona, Bromwich

☆ Why Are Trump’s Accused Co-Conspirators Smiling for Their Mug Shots?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The traditional mug shot is usually a grim affair: poorly lit and sullen. Mr. Trump’s former lawyer Jenna Ellis smiles broadly, as does David Shafer, the former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. Sidney Powell, accused of peddling debunked conspiracy theories about the election, reveals a twinkle in her eye. Image Sidney Powell, accused of peddling debunked conspiracies about the election, was photographed somewhere between a smile and a scowl. Credit... Fulton County Sheriff's Office, via Associated PressThe statement that all of their facial expressions convey unmistakably?

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Jenna Ellis, David Shafer, Scott Hall, Sidney Powell Organizations: Georgia Republican Party, Trump, Fulton County Sheriff's, Associated Locations: Fulton, Atlanta, Fulton County

There were signs, subtle but unmistakable, that Hunter Biden’s high-stakes plea agreement with federal prosecutors might be on shaky ground hours before it went public in June, according to emails sent by his legal team to the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware. When one of Mr. Biden’s lawyers sent over the draft of the statement they intended to share with the news media, a top deputy to David C. Weiss, who had overseen the inquiry since 2018, asked to remove two words describing the status of the investigation, according to interviews and internal correspondence on the deal obtained by The New York Times. “Concluded” and “conclusion” should be replaced with the weaker “resolved,” the deputy said. Six weeks later, the federal judge presiding over a hearing on the agreement would expose even deeper divisions and the deal imploded, prompting Mr. Weiss to seek appointment as special counsel with the freedom to expand the inquiry and bring new charges. The deal’s collapse — chronicled in over 200 pages of confidential correspondence between Mr. Weiss’s office and Mr. Biden’s legal team, and interviews with those close to Mr. Biden, lawyers involved in the case and Justice Department officials — came after intense negotiations that started with the prospect that Mr. Biden would not be charged at all and now could end in his possible indictment and trial.

Persons: Hunter, David C, Weiss, “, —, Biden, Mr Organizations: The New York Times, Justice Department Locations: Delaware

The indictment said Mr. Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators had pushed state legislators and election officials to change electoral votes won by Mr. Biden to votes for Mr. Trump. The July indictment accused Mr. Trump, Mr. De Oliveira and Mr. Nauta of trying to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage. Once he was sworn in as president, Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen. Rather than publish her account, the tabloid suppressed it in cooperation with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, prosecutors say. The court papers also referred to a payment to a former Trump Tower doorman who claimed that Mr. Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Jack Smith, Alvin L, Bragg, Joseph R, Biden Jr, Biden, Prosecutors, Mike Pence, Mr, Smith, Walt Nauta, Smith’s, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Nauta, ’, Stormy Daniels, Michael D, Cohen, Daniels, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Bragg’s, Juan M, Merchan, “ Trump, Merchan’s, Mimi E, Rocah, Letitia James, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Ivanka Trump, Maggie Haberman, Glenn Thrush, Jonah E, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Michael Gold, Michael Rothfeld, Ed Shanahan, Richard Fausset, Ashley Wong Organizations: Mr, Capitol, Federal, Court, Congress, Justice Department, Mar, Manhattan, National Enquirer, Trump Tower, U.S, Trump Organization, Trump National Golf Club Westchester, New York, Civil, New, Trump Locations: Manhattan, Lago, United States, Palm Beach, Fla, Mar, New York, Westchester County, Bromwich

Mr. Smith’s team described a similar conspiracy, one that he said was “fueled by lies.”There is no road map for indicting a former president, much less simultaneously prosecuting one for similar crimes in two jurisdictions. Prosecutors, especially those working for the Justice Department, typically seek to avoid concurrent cases to prevent discrepancies, small or significant, in witness testimony that can be exploited by the defense. Mr. Smith, who was appointed special counsel in November, has a more streamlined case, and is pushing hard for a speedy trial starting in early January. Those include Mr. Trump’s unrelenting effort to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into blocking official certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory, even as Trump loyalists rampaged through the halls of Congress. One of the more surprising developments revealed on Monday was how far Ms. Willis’s investigators roved beyond state borders.

Persons: Willis, Smith, Trump, “, Smith’s, Ms, Mike Pence, Joseph R, Biden, ” Organizations: Prosecutors, Justice Department, U.S . Capitol, Trump Locations: ” Fulton, Georgia

The lawyer who represented Hunter Biden in plea negotiations to end a five-year Justice Department investigation into tax and gun offenses stepped down early Tuesday, saying that he intends to testify as a witness on behalf of the president’s son. The decision by the lawyer, Christopher J. Clark, is the latest development in the long-running negotiation — which has now devolved into a fight — between the Justice Department and Mr. Biden. The department has said that a substantial part of the plea agreement no longer stands and suggested in court documents that it could indict Mr. Biden. Mr. Clark is now contending that Mr. Biden will need him as a witness to prove that the department is seeking to back out of a legally binding deal intended to definitively end the federal investigation. “Based on recent developments, it appears that the negotiation and drafting of the plea agreement and diversion agreement will be contested, and Mr. Clark is a percipient witness to those issues,” a new lawyer for Mr. Biden said in a motion filed in federal court in Delaware on Tuesday.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Christopher J, Clark, Biden, Mr Organizations: Justice Department, Mr Locations: Delaware

Mr. Trump was also charged with attempting to obstruct an official proceeding — the certification of the election results by Congress. The indictment said Mr. Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators had pushed state legislators and election officials to change electoral votes won by Mr. Biden to votes for Mr. Trump. The July indictment accused Mr. Trump, Mr. De Oliveira and Mr. Nauta of trying to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage. Once he was sworn in as president, Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen. Rather than publish her account, the tabloid suppressed it in cooperation with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, prosecutors say.

Mr. Trump was also charged with attempting to obstruct an official proceeding — the certification of the election results by Congress. The indictment said Mr. Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators had pushed state legislators and election officials to change electoral votes won by Mr. Biden to votes for Mr. Trump. The July indictment accused Mr. Trump, Mr. De Oliveira and Mr. Nauta of trying to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage. Rather than publish her account, the tabloid suppressed it in cooperation with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, prosecutors say. Mr. Trump faced a second criminal investigation in New York related to financial dealings at a Trump Organization golf course in Westchester County.

“Mom, I’ve been shot!” he recalled crying, as his mother bolted barefoot out of their house in northwest Las Vegas. “I didn’t think I was going to make it, for how much blood was under me,” Caison said. The Las Vegas police say the shooting in May was carried out with a pistol rigged with a small and illegal device known as a switch. Switches can transform semiautomatic handguns, which typically require a trigger pull for each shot, into fully automatic machine guns that fire dozens of bullets with one tug. By the time the assailant in Las Vegas sped away, Caison, a soft-spoken teenager who loves video games, lay on the pavement with five gunshot wounds.

Persons: Caison Robinson, I’ve, ”, ” Caison Organizations: Las, Las Vegas Locations: Las Vegas, Las

The federal judge overseeing former President Donald J. Trump’s prosecution on charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 election rejected his request on Friday to be able to speak broadly about evidence and witnesses — and warned Mr. Trump she would take necessary “measures” to keep him from intimidating witnesses or tainting potential jurors. The caution from the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, came during a 90-minute hearing in Federal District Court in Washington to discuss the scope of a protective order over the discovery evidence in Mr. Trump’s case, a typically routine step in criminal matters. Judge Chutkan said she planned to impose the order but agreed to a modification requested by the Trump legal team that it apply only to “sensitive” materials and not all evidence turned over to the defense. She concluded the hearing with a blunt warning to Mr. Trump, and an unmistakable reference to a recent social media post in which he warned, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” — a statement his spokesman later said was aimed at political opponents and not at people involved in the case. “I do want to issue a general word of caution — I intend to ensure the orderly administration of justice in this case as I would in any other case, and even arguably ambiguous statements by the parties or their counsel,” she said, could be considered an attempt to “intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors,” triggering the court to take action.

Persons: Donald J, —, Trump, Tanya S, Chutkan, Judge Chutkan, I’m, ” Organizations: Federal, Court, Trump Locations: Washington

Mr. Garland, who made the announcement at the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington, said David C. Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, who has handled the case for years, would become the special counsel. The move comes seven months after Mr. Garland appointed Robert K. Hur to be a special counsel investigating whether President Biden has mishandled classified documents. Mr. Garland said he made the decision to elevate Mr. Weiss after the prosecutor informed him on Tuesday the investigation had “reached the stage” where the powers of a special counsel were necessary to continue. Mr. Garland said Mr. Weiss would have the authority to investigate all related matters in his inquiry and might bring charges in any jurisdiction. The appointment on Friday all but ensures that a yearslong investigation into a wide array of conduct in Hunter Biden’s life — including his foreign business dealings, drug use and taxes — will continue.

Persons: Thrush, Luke Broadwater, General Merrick B, Garland, Biden’s, Hunter, Justice Department’s, David C, Weiss, Robert K, Hur, Biden, “, Donald J, Trump’s, Chris Cameron Organizations: Justice, Privately Locations: Washington, U.S, Delaware

“The appointment of Mr. Weiss reinforces for the American people the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters,” Mr. Garland said. Mr. Clark and the Justice Department prosecutors overseeing the case had distinctly different understandings of the immunity Hunter Biden would receive from the deal. House Republicans quickly signaled the special counsel appointment would not alleviate their criticism of the investigation into Hunter Biden. agents was that Mr. Weiss had sought to bring charges against Hunter Biden in Washington and California but was rebuffed after prosecutors in those jurisdictions declined to partner with him. House Republicans have also issued subpoenas to six banks, detailing millions that were paid to Hunter Biden and his business partners from overseas companies.

Persons: General Merrick B, Garland, Biden’s, Hunter, Justice Department’s, David C, Weiss, Hunter Biden, Biden, —, Garland scoffed, Weiss —, “, Mr, Jack Smith, Donald J, Trump, Robert K, Hur, Trump’s, Hunter Biden’s, Christopher Clark, ” Mr, Clark, ”, Russell Dye, Jim Jordan, “ Weiss, Kevin McCarthy, Biden’s D.O.J, couldn’t, Devon Archer, Archer, Chris Cameron Organizations: Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Mr, Republican, Republicans, Justice Department, House Republicans, Biden, Congress, Department, Trump Locations: Washington, U.S, Delaware, Delaware , Washington, Wilmington, Del, Ohio, Washington and California

☆ Who Is David Weiss, the U.S. Attorney Elevated to Special Counsel?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Hunter Biden case is an unexpected career turn for David C. Weiss, a tough, workmanlike prosecutor and commercial lawyer whose stubborn competitiveness earned him a reputation as a hard man to strike out in local softball leagues. Appointed by President Donald J. Trump, the low-key U.S. attorney for Delaware was held over in his job by the Biden administration to shield the Justice Department from accusations of political meddling. Mr. Weiss grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, attending Cheltenham High School, whose graduates include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson and the conservative commentator Mark Levin. After completing law school at Widener University in Wilmington, Del., he worked two long stints as a prosecutor in the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office on an array of cases. Those included an investigation of a businessman who pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations after illegally bundling contributions for President Biden’s failed 2008 bid for the White House.

Persons: Hunter Biden, David C, Weiss, Donald J, Trump, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Reggie Jackson, Mark Levin, St . Louis, Biden’s Organizations: Justice, Cheltenham High School, of Fame, Washington University, Widener University, Delaware U.S, White Locations: Delaware, Philadelphia, St ., Wilmington, Del

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Friday elevated the federal prosecutor investigating President Biden’s son Hunter to the status of special counsel after negotiations to revive a plea agreement on tax and gun charges foundered. The move raised the possibility that Mr. Biden could be tried in the politically charged case, which seemed resolved until a few weeks ago. The prosecutor, David C. Weiss, has since 2018 investigated a wide array of accusations involving Mr. Biden’s business and personal life, including his foreign dealings, drug use and finances. But as special counsel, Mr. Weiss, who is also the U.S. attorney in Delaware, can pursue charges in any jurisdiction he chooses without seeking the cooperation of local federal prosecutors. Mr. Weiss, who has been roundly criticized by Republicans over the terms of the deal, asked Mr. Garland on Tuesday to be named special counsel.

Persons: Merrick B, Garland, Biden’s, Hunter, Biden, David C, Weiss Locations: Delaware

Mr. Trump was booked and fingerprinted before entering the courtroom and offering a soft-spoken “not guilty” to each of the four counts lodged against him on Tuesday by Jack Smith, the special counsel. He was allowed to leave court without paying any bail or agreeing to any travel restrictions. A first pretrial hearing was set for Aug. 28. Mr. Trump arrived in Washington in the remarkable position of being under indictment in three separate cases as he is running for president again. In addition to the election case, he faces federal charges of mishandling classified documents and accusations in New York related to hush money payments to a porn star.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, “, Jack Smith Organizations: Capitol Locations: Washington, New York

☆ Trump’s day in court included another encounter with Jack Smith, but no eye contact.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump returned to Washington on Thursday, rose to full height, lifted his right hand and swore an oath. Mr. Trump’s second federal arraignment seemed on the face of it to be more routine than the first one: last month in Miami after he was indicted on charges of mishandling classified national security documents and obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim them. He seemed a bit more at ease. And so did the man who has led the investigation that resulted in his indictments, Jack Smith, the normally stony-faced special counsel, who allowed himself a few smiles as he shook hands with F.B.I. But if his second federal arraignment was less novel in a been-there-done-that way, the gravity of the four charges the government has leveled against him gave the proceedings a sense of historical weight not present in the Florida case.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Jack Smith Locations: Washington, Miami, Florida

(It is not yet clear when a trial over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election will start. But Mr. Trump could essentially try to hit pause on any state charges. Things would get even more complicated if Mr. Trump were to be convicted in one or more cases and still win the 2024 election. And Mr. Trump would almost certainly use his control of the Justice Department to ensure that it reverses its position. Among the questions that possibility would raise is who qualifies as a cabinet member if the Senate has not confirmed any new political appointees by Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith, Smith, Fani Willis, Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, “, Trump’s, — Organizations: Republican, Trump, Republican Party, Mr, Justice Department, Justice, Department Locations: Washington, Florida, New York, Georgia, Fulton County

☆ Trump Prepares to Make Familiar Trip to Courthouse, This Time in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Glenn Thrush | More About Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump is expected to appear at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the U.S. federal courthouse at the foot of Capitol Hill, the site of a yearslong government effort to hold accountable those who tried to subvert democracy. His second federal indictment is likely to follow a cadence similar to his first. The former president will fly down on his private jet from his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. He is expected to arrive between 3 and 4 p.m., at the E. Barrett Prettyman courthouse, the venue for dozens of trials stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. (He was arraigned in New York in the spring in connection with a hush-money payment to a pornographic actress before the 2016 election.)

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Barrett Organizations: White, Capitol, U.S . Marshals Service Locations: U.S, Miami, Bedminster, N.J, New York

Mr. Trump and congressional Republicans have accused Mr. Smith, without evidence, of pursuing a politically motivated investigation intended to destroy Mr. Trump’s chances of retaking the White House, including by leaking details of the case. The former president has taken to calling Mr. Smith “deranged,” and some of his supporters have threatened the special counsel, his family and his team — prompting the U.S. Mr. Smith was flanked by a three-person security detail inside his own building when he delivered remarks to reporters on Tuesday. Mr. Mueller was an established and trusted national figure when he was appointed special counsel, unlike Mr. Smith, who was virtually unknown outside the department and drew a mixed record during his tenure. Mr. Mueller had already solidified a reputation as the most important F.B.I.

Persons: Mueller, ”, Goodman, Trump, Smith, Trump’s, Smith “, Edgar Hoover Organizations: Just Security, Trump, U.S

More than half a dozen others were injured before the police fatally shot the gunman in a third-floor room where he had barricaded himself. But Missouri is one of 29 states that have no background check requirement for private sales. So, Mr. Harris found a weapon by browsing the online site Armslist. Federal law requires background checks only for purchases made through the approximately 80,000 businesses that sell, ship, import or manufacture weapons licensed through the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Unlicensed private sellers, by contrast, can legally sell their wares at gun shows, out of their houses and, increasingly, through online platforms such as Armslist that match buyers with sellers.

Persons: Louis, Orlando Harris, Mr, Harris, Alexzandria Bell, Jean Kuczka Organizations: Visual, Performing Arts High School, of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives Locations: St, Missouri

The updated indictment said that in late June of last year, Mr. De Oliveira went to see Mr. Taveras — who is identified only as Trump Employee 4 — and told him that “‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted,” referring to the computer server holding the security footage. “What are we going to do?” the indictment quoted Mr. De Oliveira as saying, after Mr. Taveras objected and said he would not know how and did not think he had the right to do so. A statement attributed to “the Trump campaign” with no person’s name attached called the new accusations a “desperate and flailing attempt” by President Biden’s Justice Department. The original indictment against Mr. Trump was filed last month in Florida and accused him of illegally holding on to 31 individual classified documents containing national defense information. That indictment also charged with Mr. Trump and Walt Nauta, one of his personal aides, with a conspiracy to obstruct the government’s repeated attempts to reclaim the classified material.

Persons: De Oliveira, Taveras —, “, ’, Taveras, Smith, Trump, De Oliveira’s, John Irving, Walt Nauta Organizations: Trump, Mr, Biden’s, Department Locations: Washington, Florida

Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump met on Thursday with officials in the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, as federal prosecutors edged closer toward bringing an indictment against Mr. Trump in connection with his wide-ranging efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to three people familiar with the matter. It was not immediately clear what subjects were discussed at the meeting or if Mr. Smith took part. But similar gatherings are often used by defense lawyers as a last-ditch effort to argue against charges being filed or to convey their version of events in a criminal investigation. The former president’s legal team — including Todd Blanche and a newly hired lawyer, John Lauro — has been on high alert since last week, when prosecutors working for the special counsel sent Mr. Trump a so-called target letter in the election interference case. It was the clearest signal that charges could be coming.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith, Smith, Todd Blanche, John Lauro — Organizations: Mr Locations: United States

Mr. Biden paid the overdue tax bill in 2021. Mr. Weiss’s office has also charged Mr. Biden in connection with the purchase of a handgun in 2018, when Mr. Biden falsely said on a government form that he was not using drugs. But as part of the deal, the Justice Department, under what is known as a pretrial diversion agreement, said it would not prosecute Mr. Biden on the charge as long as Mr. Biden no longer owns a weapon and remains drug free for two years. As president, Mr. Trump, realizing that Mr. Biden was the candidate with the best chance to beat him in 2020, tried to weaponize Hunter Biden’s business dealings against his father. At the height of the 2020 election, Mr. Giuliani and other Trump confidants believed they had an October surprise that would catapult Mr. Trump to re-election when they obtained a cache of files from Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Biden’s, Biden, David C, Weiss, Harris, —, Justice Department meddled, General Merrick B, Garland, Maryellen Noreika, Donald J, Trump, Hunter, Trump’s, Christopher Clark, Mr, Beau, Clark, Obama, Rudolph W, Giuliani Organizations: U.S, Trump, Biden Justice Department, Court, Biden, Republicans, Justice Department, Republican, Obama Locations: Delaware, Wilmington —, Ukraine, Ukrainian

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