Indictment 2.0: Experts say Smith may be preparing new charges against Trump as grand jury probe continues

[ad_1]

The Florida grand jury that indicted former President Donald Trump over his handling of classified documents is still investigating aspects of the case and has issued subpoenas to multiple people in recent days, according to The New York Times and CNN.

The grand jury issued subpoenas to a “few” people but it was unclear who received them, according to the Times, noting that “post-indictment investigations could result in additional charges against those person already accused of crimes in the case” as well as cases against new defendants.

The indictment against Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta “left several threads that investigators pursued in May,” according to CNN, including possible gaps in surveillance footage and the handling of classified document at Trump’s Bedminster, NJ golf club, where he was recorded discussing a classified document that he admitted he did not declare.

Prosecutors may be preparing to seek indictments against multiple people in Trump’s orbit and may file additional charges against the president in the coming weeks, according to a report from The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg.

Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet that the Justice Department is preparing to bring a “superseding indictment” with a second set of charges that “could include more serious crimes.”

The report noted that prosecutors may also choose to bring additional charges elsewhere than in the Southern District of Florida. Prosecutors’ decision will depend on whether they think Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon, who is handling the case, is “giving undue deference” to the former president, according to Feinberg.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

The superseding indictment could include “an additional 30 to 45 charges,” according to the report, based on evidence against Trump “not yet publicly acknowledged by the department, including other recordings obtained by prosecutors that reveal to Mr. .”

Smith’s team is also poised to file charges against several of Trump’s lawyers, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani met with prosecutors for a proffer deal session that could allow him to avoid potential charges in exchange for information.

A Giuliani spokesman told The Independent that the meeting was “entirely voluntary and conducted in a professional manner” but declined to elaborate.

Trump pleaded not guilty to DOJ charges earlier this month and has denied any wrongdoing.

The grand jury that issued the new subpoenas “tells me they’re looking at either additional people or additional charges,” former federal prosecutor Elie Honig told CNN on Thursday, suggesting that the prosecutors can bring “indictment 2.0.”

“A superseding indictment that adds additional charges and potentially additional defendants is relatively common in a complex case as the investigation continues and more evidence is collected,” said former federal prosecutor Noah Bookbinder, the head of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, wrote on Twitter. “That one probably for Donald Trump is ominous for him though.”

National security attorney Bradley Moss highlighted the new reports on Twitter, writing, “just remember, it’s always darkest before it gets dark.”

Read more

about Trump’s indictment

[ad_2]