Former President Donald Trump has been informed that he is the target of the special counsel's criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, ABC News and Politico. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI |
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June 7 (UPI) -- Former President Donald Trump has been informed that he is the target of a special counsel's criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents, according to multiple news reports citing unnamed sources.
Federal prosecutors notified Trump in a letter -- a clear indication that prosecutors may be close to indicting the former president -- according to unnamed sources who were informed of the communication, CNN, ABC News and Politco reported Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Trump denied being told he was a target in the investigation.
Special counsel Jack Smith has been conducting an investigation on behalf of the Justice Department into how classified documents were handled following Trump's term in the White House, after boxes containing sensitive material were found last August at the former president's Mar-a-Lago home.
While Smith's office has not confirmed the letter, the Justice Department manual allows prosecutors to send a "target letter" to anyone who could be charged in a grand jury investigations, allowing them to testify or present evidence before they are indicted.
According to the Justice Department, a letter is typically sent when there is "substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is a putative defendant."
Trump did not comment on any letter and denied Wednesday, in an interview with The New York Times' Maggie Haberman, ever being told he would be indicted. "No one has told me I'm being indicted," Trump said.
Over the past few weeks, a grand jury in Florida has been hearing testimony from witnesses connected to the investigation, including Trump aides and attorneys, as well as Mar-a-Lago employees.
Earlier Wednesday, a former Trump aide testified before a federal grand jury in Miami about classified documents found at Trump's Florida home, later calling the investigation "bogus and deeply troubling."
Taylor Budowich, who is a top adviser at the political action committee MAGA Inc., which is supporting Trump's re-election bid, was among a number of witnesses to testify.
"Today, in what can only be described as a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to 'get' Trump, I fulfilled a legal obligation to testify in front of a federal grand jury and I answered every question honestly," Budowich said in a statement.
"America has become a sick and broken nation -- a decline led by Joe Biden and power hungry Democrats. I will not be intimidated by this weaponization of government," Budowich added. "For me, the need to unite our nation and make America great again has never been more clear than it is today."
On Monday, Trump lawyers John Rowley, James Trusty and Lindsey Halligan met with Justice Department officials including Smith, CBS reported, citing two people familiar with the probe and a photo of the legal team.
Trump's legal team had requested to meet last month with Attorney General Merrick Garland about the classified documents probe, but NBC News reported Garland was not present at Monday's meeting.
Last week, prosecutors received an audio recording of Trump talking about a classified military document he kept after leaving the White House, according to reports by CNN, CBS News and The New York Times.
Trump has called the classified documents investigation -- among others -- politically motivated, insisting he has done nothing wrong. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blasted the timing.
"They are launching all of the many fake investigations against me right smack in the middle of my campaign, something which is unheard of and not supposed to happen. DOJ, FBI, New York A.G., New York D.A., Atlanta D.A. Facists all!" Trump wrote Wednesday in mostly caps.
