Former President Trump directed employees to move boxes of documents after he was subpoenaed in May for any classified documents still in his possession, according to a Trump employee who spoke to federal agents. Sources familiar with the FBI investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents talked to the Washington Post and CNN about the witness' testimony, which, they say, changed "dramatically" from the first time they were interviewed to the second time. Initially, they say, the witness denied handling any sensitive material or boxes that may have contained such material, but FBI agents decided to re-interview after gathering more evidence. At that point, the sources say, the witness admitted to moving boxes on Trump's orders.
The witness told agents they moved boxes from a basement storage room to Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago, and the sources say agents have indeed obtained surveillance footage showing a staffer moving boxes out of the storage room. The move allegedly came after Trump returned 15 boxes of materials to the National Archives in January but was then subpoenaed in May as the Justice Department sought to collect more classified documents still believed to be at Mar-a-Lago. Trump's lawyers have said they searched the storage area after the subpoena was received and did not find any classified documents, but prosecutors alleged that documents had likely been removed from the storage room prior to the lawyers' search.
Justice Department lawyers appeared to allude to this matter in a filing to the Supreme Court Tuesday in which they wrote, "The FBI uncovered evidence that the response to the grand jury subpoena was incomplete, that additional classified documents likely remained at Mar-a-Lago, and that efforts had likely been taken to obstruct the investigation." A Trump rep's response to the Post's request for comment: "The Biden administration has weaponized law enforcement and fabricated a Document Hoax in a desperate attempt to retain political power. Every other President has been given time and deference regarding the administration of documents, as the President has the ultimate authority to categorize records, and what materials should be classified." (More Donald Trump stories.)
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