Investigation into Trump Administration’s Documents Escalates with Subpoenas to Insiders and Staff

The Department of Justice investigation into former US President Donald Trump and his alleged mishandling of national defence information after he left office in January 2020 has expanded to investigate whether his associates helped him hide unlawfully classified documents from prosecutors. Trump Organization executives Matthew Calamari Sr. and Jr. have already given evidence before the grand jury hearing testimony in the documents probe. Prosecutors are believed to be examining how the Trump Organization handled surveillance footage from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s primary residence, which helped them determine that Trump hadn’t returned all classified documents in his possession despite a subpoena compelling him to do so. Prosecutors have also questioned other Trump Organization employees about the security footage and a text message from Walt Nauta, a former Navy Chief Petty Officer who served as Trump’s White House valet, pertaining to surveillance footage. The Times reported that prosecutors have developed a source of evidence in the form of an unidentified person employed by Trump at Mar-a-Lago, who handed over a photograph of the storage room where the boxes containing classified documents were kept. Smith’s probe is focusing on what Trump did after he received the grand jury subpoena related to the case last summer. Prosecutors have also issued subpoenas to four other Mar-a-Lago workers and one other person who had visibility into Trump’s thinking in early 2022, when he returned 15 boxes of documents to the National Archives. Nearly every person employed at Trump’s club has received a subpoena, and some who hold obscure jobs have been asked to give evidence on more than one occasion. The investigation is exploring Trump’s relationship with the Saudi-backed golf tour, LIV Golf, which has held tournaments at many of Trump’s golf courses. Trump’s representative has stated that the probe is a targeted, politically motivated witch-hunt concocted to prevent his return to the White House.