Newly surfaced details have revealed that two members of former US President Donald Trump’s staff moved boxes containing over 11,000 sensitive government documents a day before agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a US prosecutor visited his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate.
Citing an anonymous source, a US media report detailed that Trump and his workers participated in a “dress rehearsal,” practicing their relocation of documents before Trump even received a subpoena in May of last year. Staffers moved boxers to a storage area on June 2, before Justice Department attorney Jay Bratt and agents arrived on June 3.
An attorney representing one of the two staffers who moved boxes containing sensitive documents said their client was unaware of what was in the boxes at the time, and that the individual was trying to help Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta.
The timing of Trump’s “dress rehearsal” adds to the weight of the ongoing investigation into his actions, and will widen the timeline of events investigators are examining: his subpoena in May, and the FBI raid on August 8.
These new details will also help prosecutors decide whether or not to charge the former president with obstruction of justice or with mishandling national security secrets.
Trump’s legal team has shared a mockup of their defense with members of Congress, and are attempting to get in touch with US Attorney General Merrick Garland, suggesting a decision on whether to charge Trump may be drawing near.
However, a grand jury in the case has not convened since May 5, shortly after Garland appointed Jack Smith as a special counsel to head the investigation.
Smith is also investigating Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, in just one of several ongoing investigations into the former commander-in-chief.