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CNN —The special counsel investigation into Donald Trump secured a search warrant of the former president’s Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, according to a newly unsealed court filing. The search was so secret that Twitter was initially barred from telling Trump the search warrant had been obtained for his account, and the company, now known as “X,” was fined $350,000 because it delayed producing the records sought under the search warrant. The search warrant special counsel Jack Smith obtained sought “data and records related” to Trump’s account, and ultimately, the platform was allowed to share some information about the search warrant with the former president. It said that Smith’s office had “difficulties” when it first attempted to serve Twitter with the search warrant and nondisclosure order. The next week, however, prosecutors contacted Twitter’s lawyer to check on the status of their compliance with the search warrant.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Jack Smith, Jack Smith’s, Trump, “, Trump ‘, ‘, ’, –, Smith, Florence Pan, J, Michelle Childs, Nina Pillard, Childs, Joe Biden, Pillard, Barack Obama, Twitter’s, Twitter Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Trump, DC, Appeals, Communications, Prosecutors, DC Circuit, Circuit

☆ Grand jury that handed up 2020 election indictment against Trump meets again
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Casey Gannon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A federal grand jury reconvened on Tuesday for the first time since handing up an indictment last week against former President Donald Trump related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. CNN spotted grand jury members at the federal courthouse in Washington, an indication that the investigation into election interference is not over. In the Trump indictment, prosecutors refer to six unnamed co-conspirators, raising questions about whether they also could face charges in the case. On Monday, Bernie Kerik, a longtime Giuliani associate who coordinated with him after the 2020 election, met with investigators at the special counsel’s office. Kerik spoke with investigators about Giuliani’s efforts to try to uncover election fraud in 2020, according to his attorney Tim Parlatore.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Bernie Kerik, Giuliani, Kerik, Tim Parlatore, Giuliani “, Ted Goodman, eviscerates Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Prosecutors Locations: Washington

☆ Special counsel cites Truth Social post in arguing for quick court order on evidence sharing as Trump rails against 2020 election charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Tierney Sneed Kate Sullivan | Tierney Sneed | Kate Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To explain why they were seeking such a maneuver, prosecutors outlined the back-and-forth they had behind the scenes with the Trump team over their proposed order. Smith’s filing said that once US District Judge Tanya Chutkan approved their proposed protective order, prosecutors could begin turning over “a substantial amount of discovery” to the defense. The former president railed against the federal criminal charges at his first campaign event since being indicted a third time. It was a very bad election,” Trump, who refuses to accept he lost the 2020 election and regularly promotes election conspiracy theories, told the crowd in a roughly 50-minute speech. One more indictment and this election is closed out, nobody has even a chance,” Trump said.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump’s, ”, Trump, —, Trump’s, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, John Lauro, Tanya Chutkan, ’ Trump, Smith –, … They’re, ” Trump, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Trump, Alabama Republican Party, GOP Locations: Florida, Thursday’s, Washington, DC, United States

☆ More Charges Against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( German Lopez | More About German Lopez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump is facing more criminal charges in a federal case accusing him of mishandling classified documents. The new allegations are in a revised indictment from the special counsel’s office released last night. It added three charges: attempting to “alter, destroy, mutilate, or conceal evidence”; asking someone else to do so; and a new count under the Espionage Act. Prosecutors said that Trump asked the property manager of Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home, to have surveillance camera footage deleted. He told a Mar-a-Lago information technology expert that “‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted,” according to the revised indictment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Carlos De Oliveira, ’, De Oliveira, ” Organizations: Prosecutors, Mar Locations: Florida

Washington CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith’s office has asked former US officials about a February 2020 Oval Office meeting where then-President Donald Trump praised improvements to the security of US elections, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Those details offer a stark contrast to the voter-fraud conspiracy theories Trump began spreading publicly just weeks later and continued to use to question the 2020 election results. Investigators seemed particularly interested in understanding Trump’s mindset about election security before he embarked on a monthslong campaign to cast doubt on elections, the source added. After losing the 2020 election, Trump repeatedly made false claims that contradicted what he was told at the White House briefing about the security of voting systems. The briefing grew tense when the topic turned to Moscow’s preference for Trump over Joe Biden in the 2020 election, the sources said.

Persons: Jack Smith’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Zach Gibson, Elie Honig, “, ” Honig, Jack Smith, ”, Claire Woodall, Scott Olson, Chris Krebs, Trump’s, Joe Biden, National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Drew Angerer, Maguire Organizations: Washington CNN, White House, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, CNN, Trump, Oval, Bloomberg, Getty, White, DHS, National Intelligence, Capitol Locations: Washington , DC, Venezuela, Italy, Milwaukee, Trump

☆ Special counsel continues to schedule witness interviews even as potential Trump indictment loomsSpecial counsel continues to schedule witness interviews even as he moves closer to another possible Tr
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Paula Reid Katelyn Polantz Kara Scannell Hannah Rabinowitz Jeremy Herb | Paula Reid | Katelyn Polantz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

On Thursday, Trump aide Will Russell testified to the grand jury investigating the 2020 election aftermath, including the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. But Smith’s office has continued to investigate the handling of classified material after Trump’s presidency ended, with inquiries of witnesses and grand jury activity. The letter, first reported by ABC News, indicates prosecutors are exploring possible false statement charges related to the employee’s grand jury testimony. Trump also was indicted in late March by a Manhattan grand jury in connection with an alleged hush-money scheme. The special counsel’s office is seeking Kerik’s communications around the 2020 election, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith, won’t, Bernie Kerik, indicting Trump, It’s, Smith, Will Russell, Stan Woodward, Woodward, Trevor McFadden, Walt Nauta, Lago, Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, Timothy Parlatore, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Trump, Former New York, Trump Organization, Mar, ABC News Locations: Former New York City, Manhattan

☆ Donald Trump says he’s a target of special counsel’s criminal probe into 2020 election aftermath
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Katelyn Polantz Jeremy Herb Kristen Holmes Kaitlan Collins Paula Reid | Katelyn Polantz | Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In the classified documents case, Trump received a target letter from the special counsel’s office on May 19. Three days after that, on June 8, the grand jury returned an indictment against Trump and his co-defendant and aide Walt Nauta. The special counsel has also probed Trump’s knowledge that he lost the 2020 election, pressure within the Justice Department to help with efforts to overturn the election and fundraising efforts after the election. Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, told CNN that Giuliani has not received a target letter. The grand jury investigating 2020 election interference is meeting Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Joe Biden’s, ” Trump, Todd Blanche, Trump’s, Smith, Trump . Trump’s, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Walt Nauta, Fox News ’ Sean Hannity, Mike Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Robert Costello, Giuliani Organizations: CNN, Joe Biden’s DOJ, Sunday, Trump, Trump ., Manhattan, Attorney, Justice, Fox News, “, United, Constitution, Joe, Electoral College, Justice Department, House Locations: Bedminster, Iowa, Washington , DC

☆ Donald Trump asks court to delay setting trial date in documents case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Mary Kay Mallonee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The Justice Department has asked for a mid-December trial date. “This extraordinary case presents a serious challenge to both the fact and perception of our American democracy,” Trump’s defense team wrote in the filing. “The Court now presides over a prosecution advanced by the administration of a sitting President against his chief political rival, himself a leading candidate for the Presidency of the United States.”Trump’s defense team said the court should “withdraw the current order setting trial” and “postpone” consideration of a new trial date. In a separate filing earlier Monday, Trump’s defense team and the special counsel’s office said July 18 would be an agreeable date for the first appearance before Judge Aileen Cannon on classified information procedures. While Trump entered his not guilty plea in the case on June 13, his aide and co-defendant Walt Nauta was only able to enter his not guilty plea last week due in part to delays in retaining a Florida counsel.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, ”, “, Aileen Cannon, Trump, Walt Nauta Organizations: CNN Locations: Florida, United States

CNN —Nearly a month after Donald Trump and his aide were indicted in federal court, Walt Nauta is set to appear before a judge in Florida to say he is not guilty. Nauta served as a military valet in the White House under then-President Trump and traveled to Florida with Trump when he left office, eventually taking on the role of his personal aide. But the aide didn’t have a lawyer in Florida who could assist with his representation, delaying his initial plea. But the unprecedented nature of Trump and Nauta’s case, as Trump runs again for the White House, makes timing even more crucial with primary voting for the 2024 GOP nomination beginning early next year. Judge Aileen Cannon, the federal district judge overseeing the case in South Florida, initially set an August trial date, but prosecutors have already asked to begin the trial in December.

Persons: Donald Trump, Walt Nauta, Trump, Nauta, didn’t, Nauta’s, Stanley Woodward, who’ve, ” Timothy Parlatore, CNN’s Paula Reid, ”, “, Walt, Woodward, Aileen Cannon Organizations: CNN, Navy, House, Trump, White Locations: Florida, Lago, Guam, Philadelphia, Miami, ”, South Florida

☆ Trump once said a president under felony indictment would grind the government to a halt and create a constitutional crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Andrew Kaczynski Abturner | Andrew Kaczynski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump said in 2016 that a president under indictment would “cripple the operations of our government” and create an “unprecedented constitutional crisis” – years before he himself was indicted on federal charges while running for a second term as president. Trump made the comments nearly seven years ago about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. “We could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and ultimately a criminal trial,” Trump said during a November 5, 2016, campaign rally in Reno, Nevada, reviewed by CNN’s KFile. In another comment, made when running for reelection, Trump acknowledged only the sitting president could reveal classified information. “First of all, I’m allowed to do it, I’m the President so I’m allowed to.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Trump, Hillary Clinton, ” Trump, CNN’s KFile, James Comey, won’t, “, Bob Woodward, I’m Organizations: CNN, Republican, Politico Locations: Reno , Nevada, Concord , North Carolina, Denver, Iran, Pennsylvania

CNN —Following his defeat in the 2020 election, President Donald Trump spoke to Arizona Gov. Trump also repeatedly pressured his vice president, Mike Pence, to help him find evidence of fraud and overturn the 2020 election results. The Washington Post first reported on Trump pressuring Ducey on overturning the election results. As Ducey was certifying the election results in November 2020, Trump appeared to call the governor – with a “Hail to the Chief” ringtone heard playing on Ducey’s phone. Governor Ducey defended the results of Arizona’s 2020 election, he certified the election, and he made it clear that the certification provided a trigger for credible complaints backed by evidence to be brought forward.

Persons: Donald Trump, Doug Ducey, Ducey, Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Pence, CNN Pence, Jack Smith, Brad Raffensperger, Smith, Raffensperger, “, Daniel Scarpinato, Governor Ducey, ” Trump, ”, Democratic Sen, Mark Kelly, Karrin Taylor Robson, Taylor Robson, Kari Lake, Lake, Katie Hobbs Organizations: CNN, Arizona Gov, Publicly, Republican, Trump, Ducey, Washington Post, Senate, Democratic, GOP, Arizona, of Regents, Stone Creamery, for Free Enterprise Locations: Arizona, Georgia, Fulton County

“The excesses of the Supreme Court are going to backfire,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat. “The Supreme Court is becoming not just conservative, but almost – it’s like a throwback. For months the White House publicly said there was no alternative plan if the Supreme Court struck down the student debt relief program. The White House also stayed in touch with and fielded suggestions for next steps from debt relief advocate groups and congressional allies throughout the process. A team from the White House counsel’s office came to brief him on the ruling.

Persons: Joe Biden wasn’t, ”, Biden, Donald Trump –, Ritchie Torres, “, Roe, Wade, it’s, ” Biden, hasn’t, we’re, Jeff Zients, –, Natalie Quillian, “ I’m, cancelation, Wisdom Cole, galvanizing, Congress –, Adam Green Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Biden, New, New York Democrat, Republican Party, Seagram, MSNBC, White House, White, Council, National Economic Council, Department of Education, Department of Justice, Justice Department and Education Department, Higher, Youth & College, NAACP, Congress, Progressive, Institute Locations: New York, New York City

☆ Special counsel office still investigating Trump’s handling of documents, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Katelyn Polantz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Washington CNN —The special counsel’s office is continuing to investigate around Donald Trump’s handling of documents after his presidency ended, multiple sources tell CNN. That includes continued grand jury activity in Florida and inquiries of witnesses, though it is not yet clear what aspects of the investigation the prosecutors are still pushing toward. Trump has pleaded not guilty, and Nauta is expected to enter a plea of not guilty next week. The two men are expected to head to trial as early as this year. A spokesman for the special counsel’s office declined to comment on Thursday.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Walt Nauta, Prosecutors, It’s, Nauta Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Republican, Trump, Trump’s Bedminster Locations: Florida, New Jersey

☆ Exclusive: CNN obtains the tape of Trump’s 2021 conversation about classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —CNN has exclusively obtained the audio recording of the 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump discusses holding secret documents he did not declassify. Hear the conversation Listen to audio exclusively obtained by CNN of a July 2021 conversation during which former President Donald Trump acknowledges he held on to a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran. “These are the papers,” Trump says in the audio recording, while he’s discussing the Pentagon attack plans, a quote that was not included in the indictment. The audio recording comes from a July 2021 interview Trump gave at his Bedminster resort for people working on the memoir of Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff. While that’s the last line included in the indictment, the audio recording obtained by CNN includes several additional lines from the conversation:Trump: “It’s so cool.

Persons: Donald Trump, “ Anderson Cooper, Jack Smith’s, Trump, ” Trump, Hillary Clinton’s, ” “ Hillary, ” Trump’s, “, Anthony Weiner, Bret Baier, Mark, –, Mark Milley, Milley, ”, ’, Weiner, ‘, ’ ” Trump Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Democratic, Fox News, Fox, Yorker, Joint Chiefs, Trump, Defense Department, FBI Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Iran, Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, Bedminster, Mark Meadows

That activity could signal that investigators are nearing at least some charging decisions in a part of the 2020 election probe, sources added. It is not clear if Trump is a target in the fake electors aspect of Smith’s ongoing criminal probe. Multiple 2020 election witnesses are scheduled for grand jury appointments in the coming days, sources say. Fake electors in NevadaThe fake electors scheme – one of the more public efforts to overturn Biden’s win in the 2020 election – now appears to be at the forefront for prosecutors, sources said. McDonald and DeGraffenreid previously declined to answer some questions about the fake electors scheme in the House inquiry.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Mike Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jeffrey Clark, Giuliani, Drew Angerer, –, Michael McDonald, Jim DeGraffenreid –, Gary Michael Brown, Brown, McDonald, DeGraffenreid, Adam Laxalt, Jesse Binnall, “ Donald Trump, ”, Binnall, “ Adam Laxalt, ” Robert Uithoven, Nevada’s Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Prosecutors, Republicans, Trump, Lawyers, Capitol, of Justice, Republican National Committee, Getty, Biden’s, Nevada Trump, state’s Republican, GOP, FBI Locations: Washington, Florida, Nevada, Nevada’s Clark County, Clark County

Special counsel Jack Smith disclosed in a court filing Wednesday that investigators had more tapes of interviews with Trump conducted by non-government entities and recorded with his consent but did not say what the tapes said or how they were obtained. The new reporting provides more insight into how the special counsel conducted its investigation and what kinds of evidence it has. The special counsel previously revealed it obtained audio of an interview Trump gave at Bedminster for Mark Meadows’ memoir in which the special counsel says Trump shared classified information with visitors and aides. Sources familiar with the investigation told CNN the Trump team does not believe the additional recordings are as incriminating as the recording referenced in the indictment unsealed this month. Trump’s team and the special counsel’s office declined to comment.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Jack Smith, Trump, Mark Meadows, Mark Milley Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Bedminster, Trump, ” Prosecutors Locations: Mark, Bedminster

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith has begun producing evidence in the Mar-a-Lago documents case to Donald Trump, according to a Wednesday court filing that hints that investigators collected for the case multiple recordings of the former president – not just audio of an interview Trump gave at Bedminster for a forthcoming Mark Meadows memoir. Prosecutors in the filing used the plural “interviews” to describe recordings of Trump – made with his consent – obtained by the special counsel that have now been turned over to his defense team. The prosecutors’ update to the court on Wednesday night marks another swift move toward trial, which the Justice Department has said should happen quickly, and captures at least some of the extent of the evidence investigators secured to build their historic case against Trump. The first batch of evidence, provided on Wednesday, “includes the grand jury testimony of witnesses who will testify for the government at the trial of this case,” the special counsel’s office wrote. “Defense counsel can contact the government to arrange for inspection of unclassified items seized at Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022,” the filing said.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, –, Trump, Mark Meadows, ”, Trump –, Walt Nauta, Smith Organizations: CNN, Bedminster, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Trump, “ Locations: Bedminster, Washington ,, Florida, “, Mar, Lago

☆ Trump offers dizzying new justifications for classified documents as former Cabinet secretaries sound the alarm
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Trump’s defense secretary who preceded Esper, James Mattis, had already turned full throttle against Trump before the 2020 election. He opposes Trump’s prosecution in New York by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, for alleged participation in a hush money scheme before the 2016 election. He also questions whether Trump should be prosecuted in connection with January 6, 2021, or his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Any ultimate prosecution with regard to the 2020 election could be a mistake, Barr said, arguing a candidate should have First Amendment rights. There’s an even larger questionRepublicans can defend Trump against prosecution all they want, but for Barr, that’s not the point.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, ”, Bret Baier, Trump, –, didn’t, William Barr, ” Barr, Barr, Mueller, ‘, ’ Barr’s, Mark Esper, Jake Tapper, ” Esper, Esper, Walt Nauta, James Mattis, Sen, Jeff Sessions –, Trump’s, Mike Pence, NBC’s “, it’s, Jim Jordan, they’re, Attorney Alvin Bragg, he’s, I’ve, Fani Willis, Jack Smith, that’s, Robert Costa, ” Barr wasn’t Organizations: CNN, White House, National Archives, Records Administration, Fox News, Republican, CBS, Free Press, Capitol, Trump, White, Senate, Press, GOP, Ohio, Manhattan, Attorney, Democrat, “ Fox Locations: Iran, Bedminster , New Jersey, “ State, New York, Fulton County , Georgia, Fulton County, Georgia

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. Legal experts say that Mr. Trump and others appear to be at “substantial risk” of prosecution for violating a number Georgia statutes, including the state’s racketeering law. But if she were to prevail at trial, a judge could impose steep financial penalties on Mr. Trump and restrict his business operations in New York. Ms. James’s investigators questioned Mr. Trump under oath in April, and a trial is scheduled for October.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Jack Smith, Alvin L, Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Michael D, Cohen, Daniels, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Brad Raffensperger, Biden’s, —, Emily Kohrs, “ You’re, ”, “, Willis, Jan, Mr . Biden, Smith, Mike Pence, Mark Meadows, Letitia James, Mr, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Jonah E, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Michael Gold, Michael Rothfeld, Ed Shanahan, Richard Fausset, Ashley Wong Organizations: Capitol, Manhattan, National Enquirer, Mr, ., The New York Times, Justice Department, Trump, Prosecutors, White House, Trump White House, New York, Civil, New Locations: Manhattan, Georgia, . Georgia, Fulton County, United States, Washington, Trump’s, New, New York, Bromwich

Prosecutors have been examining any effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation after Trump received a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents. Subpoenas for surveillanceAgents first subpoenaed the Trump Organization for Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage last summer, before the August search by the FBI. But as more classified documents were found through the end of last year, investigators sought more surveillance footage from the Trump Organization, sources tell CNN. Corcoran found about three dozen classified documents, and he turned them over to FBI agents the following day when investigators came to Mar-a-Lago on June 3. In March, a judge ordered Corcoran, who has recused himself from representing Trump in the Mar-a-Lago case, to provide additional testimony.

Persons: Donald Trump’s Mar, Department’s, Trump, Jack Smith, Lago, Walt Nauta, Donald Trump, Jabin, Matthew Calamari Sr, Matthew Calamari Jr, Nauta, Evan Corcoran, Corcoran, Barrett Prettyman, Kevin Dietsch, “, subpoenaing Corcoran, hadn’t Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, White, Prosecutors, Mar, Trump, Trump Organization for Mar, FBI, Trump Organization, Justice Department, Palm Beach, Washington Post, DOJ, Justice, House, The, Department Locations: Florida, Mar, Lago, Trump, West Palm Beach , Florida, Washington , DC

☆ Why the Trump tape is so important for the documents investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The main takeaway for me: prosecutors must determine if classified information meets a sort of Goldilocks test. It is about criminalizing (the information) being kept outside of a protected area, even by somebody who is allowed to have classified information. … All of the discussion has been about how Trump and others may have handled documents after knowing there’s a criminal investigation that exists. We know there’s an obstruction of justice investigation around that. A key thing in an obstruction of justice investigation is knowing that there’s a proceeding that you could potentially be obstructing, like a criminal investigation.

Persons: Donald Trump’s Mar, Trump, Katelyn, we’ve, – that’s, It’s, there’s, he’s, they’ve, We’re, Donald Trump, Margo Martin, … Trump, Bob Woodward, Woodward, WOLF, I’m, Mark Milley, …, Mueller, There’s, Justice Department won’t Organizations: CNN, White, Fox News, Justice Department, Trump, FBI, Joint Chiefs, Staff Locations: Lago, Iran, CNN’s Washington, New Jersey, Bedminster, Mar, Florida, POLANTZ, Washington , DC, what’s, Russia, Durham, litigate

☆ Exclusive: Trump attorneys haven’t found classified document former president referred to on tape following subpoena
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Kaitlan Collins Paula Reid Katelyn Polantz | Kaitlan Collins | Paula Reid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On the recording, Trump acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran. Over the course of the Justice Department’s investigation, prosecutors have expressed skepticism that all classified documents had been returned. The federal government recovered dozens of documents with classified markings from Trump at various points throughout 2022. The audio of Trump acknowledging he had a classified document undercuts Trump’s repeated claims that he declassified everything he took from the White House when he left office. Trump attorney Jim Trusty declined to say on CNN this week whether the document was ever returned to the National Archives.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Mark Milley, Trump’s, wouldn’t, Milley, Jack Smith, Smith, “, ” Trump, Mark Meadows, Margo Martin, That’s, Martin’s, Jim Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Joint Chiefs of Staff, White, Lago, Trump, National Archives, Archives, Justice Department, Fox News, Bedminster, Milley Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Iran, Lago, Florida, declassify

The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. Meadows didn’t attend the meeting, sources said. The revelation that the former president and commander-in-chief has been captured on tape discussing a classified document could raise his legal exposure as he continues his third bid for the White House. On the recording and in response to the story, Trump brings up the document, which he says came from Milley. However, there’s no indication Trump followed the legally mandated declassification process, and his attorneys have avoided saying so far in court whether Trump declassified records he kept.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith, Mark Milley, Trump’s, Mark Meadows, Margo Martin, Meadows, Trump “, ”, Dave Butler, Martin, Olivier Douliery, Susan Glasser, Milley, Glasser, ” Milley, Honig, They’ve Organizations: CNN, Federal, White, Justice Department, Trump, Prosecutors, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Milley, Capitol, Getty, Yorker, National Archives, Records Administration, The Justice, Lago, Office, Fox News Locations: Iran, Bedminster , New Jersey, Washington ,, AFP, New, Milley, Lago, Florida, Bedminster, Trump

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