Three lawyers representing former President Donald Trump visited the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday amidst reports that federal prosecutors are finalizing an investigation into allegations of mishandling classified documents by the former president.
Lindsey Halligan, John Rowley, and James Trusty, the lawyers in question, chose not to respond to inquiries as they exited the Washington building.
Trump, who currently leads the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has claimed unfair targeting in the matter. Taking to social media, he questioned the Department of Justice’s decision to charge him, asserting his innocence and referring to it as “the greatest witch hunt of all time!”
Multiple media outlets have reported that Trump’s legal team visited the Justice Department to argue against the filing of charges related to Trump’s possession of sensitive government materials after his departure from the White House in 2021. This investigation is one of several criminal probes Trump is facing as he seeks to reclaim the presidency next year.
The nature and implications of the lawyers’ meeting with the department remain unclear at this time. Typically, such meetings occur between lawyers and representatives of the Justice Department before an indictment is issued.
Last month, Trump’s legal team sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting a meeting, though representatives of the Department of Justice have refrained from commenting on the matter.
Trump is the first former or current U.S. president to face criminal charges. In April, he pleaded not guilty to felony charges brought by the Manhattan district attorney, which accuse him of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to a porn star prior to his election in 2016.
Media reports have indicated that a grand jury is expected to hear from an additional witness in the ongoing documents case this week.
Attorney General Garland has assigned Special Counsel Jack Smith to oversee the investigation into the documents case, as well as Trump’s and others’ involvement in a range of actions related to his electoral defeat, culminating in the attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Over the weekend, Trump asserted that he was “at least as innocent” as his former vice president, Mike Pence, who faced no charges after cooperating with authorities when a classified document was discovered in his Indiana home last year.
Federal investigators are examining whether Trump and his associates violated the law by retaining U.S. documents after leaving the White House, as well as whether they obstructed the Justice Department’s investigation into the matter. Additionally, Trump is facing a state-level probe by a Georgia county prosecutor.
