A New York Times report on Monday revealed the existence of a second federal grand jury in Florida hearing evidence in the Justice Department's probe of former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents.
Prosecutors are expected to question a new witness before the Florida grand jury and at least one other witness has already appeared before the panel, according to the report.
It is not clear why a second grand jury is taking testimony in Florida, the report added, but prosecutors in recent weeks have focused on potential efforts by Trump employees to obstruct the probe. Prosecutors are interested in an indicted from October in which a worker drained a pool at Mar-a-Lago that flooded a room containing computer servers with digital surveillance logs.
Prosecutors have also obtained Trump attorney Evan Corcoran's notes in which he described his search for documents last June in response to a subpoena. Corcoran was forced to turn over the notes after prosecutors convinced a judge that there was evidence that Trump used his services in furtherance of a crime.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the second grand jury appeared to be an "effort to tie up loose ends."
"Sounds like two sets of indictments: one for Trump (in DC) and one for the staffers DOJ suspects of assisting in obstruction (in FL)," tweeted national security attorney Bradley Moss.
Sounds like two sets of indictments: one for Trump (in DC) and one for the staffers DOJ suspects of assisting in obstruction (in FL).
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) June 5, 2023
We will know more soon. https://t.co/H3fOlFsOmB
"The existence of a separate grand jury in Florida considering evidence in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case strongly suggests that there may be *two* indictments due to venue issues, as there was in the Manafort case," wrote former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti, referring to Trump's former campaign chief who was charged in both D.C. and Virginia in the Mueller probe. "Certain potential crimes occurred *only* in Florida."
The existence of a separate grand jury in Florida considering evidence in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case strongly suggests that there may be *two* indictments due to venue issues, as there was in the Manafort case.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) June 5, 2023
Certain potential crimes occurred *only* in Florida. https://t.co/iWTvjuWNmz
Trump's attorneys met with special counsel Jack Smith on Monday in an attempt to avert a possible indictment.
"I have been hearing before this meeting took place, that Trump expected he is going to be charged," New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman told CNN on Monday. "It's not that they have said this to him. It's just that he believes it… DOJ officials, typically prosecutors at any level keep their cards close to the vest. I don't think this was different in this meeting. But I also don't think they came away thinking, 'oh, we've solved this.' For somebody like Donald Trump who treats everything like a deal and exchange and transaction, I don't think this is the meeting he wanted."
