Former President Donald Trump has been alerted by federal prosecutors that he is the target of an ongoing criminal investigation, according to a report Wednesday.
Trump has been at the center of an investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith after the former president allegedly concealed classified documents and attempted to prevent federal authorities from obtaining them. The FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home last August, looking for the classified documents after he reportedly ignored a subpoena to return them. According to a new report, the Justice Department informed the former president’s attorneys days ago that he is the target of a criminal investigation, signaling that Special Counsel Jack Smith is close to a charging decision. (RELATED: Mike Pence Must Testify In Jan. 6 Special Counsel Investigation, Judge Rules)
How did this get past CBS News censors.
Catherine Herridge interview today.
Former Trump attorney Tim Parlatore describes prosecutorial misconduct from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team.pic.twitter.com/aBK9PIDyXA
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) June 8, 2023
Federal prosecutors sometimes send letters to targets of investigations, indicating that they believe a crime has been committed and may issue charges. However, charges may not ultimately be filed. These notifications allow targets of investigations the option to present evidence or testify prior to the issuing of an indictment.
Smith met with Trump’s three attorneys — John Rowley, James Trusty and Lindsey Halligan — alongside other federal prosecutors Monday at the Justice Department. The trio reportedly left the office after two hours but did not discuss what was said in the meeting, according to The New York Times.
Tim Parlatore, a lawyer that resigned from Trump’s team, expressed concern with how the special counsel has been managing the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents thus far.
“I’ve long had concerns about the manner in which D.O.J. personnel conducted this investigation,” Paralatore said, according to The New York Times. “Regardless of what the evidence shows, if your prosecution team has engaged in misconduct, that’s a relevant factor to consider in making any charging decisions, particularly in a case with significant political magnitude.”