WORLD NEWS | Trump lawyers meet with DOJ officials as Mar-a-Lago charge decision looms

WASHINGTON, June 5 (AP) – Donald Trump’s lawyers met with Justice Department officials on Monday, ahead of a decision on whether to press charges over the handling of classified documents at the former president’s Florida estate.

Two weeks ago, Trump’s lawyers requested a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland to express concerns about what they called prosecutorial misconduct and excessive interference by a team led by special counsel Jack Smith. But meetings between defense lawyers and Justice Department officials are also often used as an opportunity to persuade them not to bring criminal charges.

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Three of Trump’s lawyers — James Trusti, John Rowley and Lindsay Halligan — left Monday morning after entering the Justice Department building in Washington for more than an hour. They got into a black off-road vehicle and did not answer reporters’ questions.

It was not immediately clear who from the Justice Department participated in the meeting. Spokespeople for Smith and the Justice Department had no immediate comment on the meeting.

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After the end, Trump posted in capital letters on his Truth Social platform: “No other president has been charged, how can the Department of Justice charge me, I have done nothing wrong.” He cited the investigation into his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton, which ended without criminal charges, and another ongoing investigation into the existence of classified documents in President Joe Biden’s office and home. He described it as a “witch hunt”.

Unlike the Trump investigation, though, Biden’s representatives initially alerted the Justice Department of the discovery of classified documents and agreed to the FBI’s voluntary search. The FBI involved in the Trump investigation obtained a search warrant in August and recovered about 100 additional classified documents from Mar-a-Lago.

The investigation into Mar-a-Lago’s possible mishandling of classified documents is believed to be nearing completion, with a decision on charges expected soon. Prosecutors have referred a wide range of witnesses to the grand jury, including Trump’s lawyers and close aides.

In addition to the Mar-a-Lago investigation, Smith is leading a separate investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

It was not immediately clear when or if charges would be filed. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)