One of former President Donald Trump‘s attorneys signed a statement in June declaring that there was no more confidential information kept at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, according to two persons familiar with the situation.
The letter, signed by the attorney, raises new concerns about the number of persons who may face legal implications as a result of the ongoing investigation into the handling of sensitive data under Trump’s presidency.
The investigation reached new heights earlier this week when the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, removing 11 sets of classified documents, some of which were labeled “top secret/SCI” – one of the highest levels of classification.
That inventory list contradicts the attorney’s letter. The removal of that confidential material after the letter’s distribution could explain why prosecutors cited an obstruction law in their search warrant request.
The sources did not say when or who signed the letter. It was part of an ongoing discussion with the Department of Justice about the matter.
The letter’s existence was first reported by the New York Times.
CNN previously reported that after a June meeting at Mar-a-Lago during which Justice Department officials left with classified information, investigators developed evidence, including evidence from a witness that led them to believe there was still more classified information in documents stored at the complex.
Court documents unsealed and made public on Friday indicate three federal crimes under investigation by the DOJ: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice, and illegal handling of government records. The inclusion of the offenses suggested that the agency had probable cause to examine those charges when conducting its search. Nobody has been charged with anything.
According to CNN, the June meeting included Trump lawyers Evan Corcoran and Christina Bobb, as well as federal investigators, including Jay Bratt, the chief of the Justice Department’s counterintelligence and export control section.
A separate source maintains that Trump representatives told investigators in the June meeting that Trump had declassified all the documents.
Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich said in a statement to CNN: “Just like every Democrat-fabricated witch hunt previously, the water of this unprecedented and unnecessary raid is being carried by a media willing to run with suggestive leaks, anonymous sources, and no hard facts.”
