FBI accused of 'altering or manipulating' Trump's Mar

Release time：2024-05-08 16:55:12 Source：Earthly Edition news portal

House Republicans are investigating whether Donald Trump's classified documents investigation is tainted following revelations that the FBI may have tampered with the materials. 

Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team - who are overseeing the prosecution of Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents - admitted that the boxes of files recovered from the former president's Mar-a-Lago home were altered or manipulated. 

Previously, Smith and his team had claimed that the evidence was in the original condition it was found in following the August 2022 FBI raid of Trump's Florida residence. 

House Judiciary head Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said he has 'grave concerns' about the department's 'commitment to impartial judgment' in a letter to DOJ obtained by DailyMail.com.

Boxes of documents found in the August 2022 FBI raid of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. According to new court filings, the contents of the boxes are not in the same order they were when they were recovered by federal agents

Donald Trump has been indicted on 40 felony charges related to his handling of classified documents after his presidency

The Republican claims the manipulation of the boxes amounts to 'witness tampering.'

The alleged tampering was discovered by Trump aide Walt Nauta's legal team as they sifted through the evidence shared with them by Smith's prosecution, according to Jordan's letter.

Smith has accused Nauta of conspiring with Trump to thwart the classified documents investigation - and he faces charges of misleading federal prosecutors. 

Nauta has pleaded not guilty to the charges.  

Additionally, Jordan's letter reveals that Jay Bratt, a senior member of Smith's prosecution team, improperly asserted that Nauta's lawyers could be given favorable consideration for future roles as judges should they work with federal officials. 

'The admission, unfortunately, reflects a broader trend of attorneys for Special Counsel Jack Smith's team violating ethical norms in persecution of President Trump.'

'Given these highly concerning disclosures about the serious ethical lapses in Special Counsel Smith's prosecution, the Committee requests that OPR brief the Committee about what steps you are taking to investigate Jack Smith ... to determine whether disciplinary actions are appropriate,' Jordan wrote. 

Jordan wants DOJ to turn over documents and communications related to potential ethics investigations into Smith and information on why the boxes of documents were manipulated. 

The Ohio Republican gave the department until May 20 to comply with his request. 

Special Counsel Jack Smith admitted in a court filing Friday that his team changed the order of documents seized from Donald Trump's home in August 2022 

Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to the classified documents-related charges 

In total, the FBI raid of Trump's Florida home yielded 33 boxes of documents, some containing classified files. 

As a result, the former president was indicted on 40 felony charges, 32 of which come under the Espionage Act for handling classified files and another eight related to lying to prosecutors and obstructing justice.

The trial for Trump's classified document case was expected to begin on May 20, but the judge in the case has not issued a new start date. 

It is unclear when the case will begin. 

The FBI did not immediately return a request for comment.  

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