After The Washington Post published a new bombshell on Trump's Mar-a-Lago documents, legal experts said it would be more likely that the Department of Justice would indict Donald Trump.
"A Trump employee has told federal agents about moving boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago at the specific direction of the former president, according to people familiar with the investigation, who say the witness account — combined with security-camera footage — offers key evidence of Donald Trump's behavior as investigators sought the return of classified material," the newspaper reported. "The witness description and footage described to The Washington Post offer the most direct account to date of Trump's actions and instructions leading up to the FBI's Aug. 8 search of the Florida residence and private club, in which agents were looking for evidence of potential crimes including obstruction, destruction of government records or mishandling classified information."
Legal experts quickly weighed in on the reported development.
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti noted in a Twitter thread, during the employee's first interview, he lied to the FBI, denying handling documents. His story changed during the second interview."
"The employee is unlikely to be charged if he continues to cooperate. But his testimony suggests that Trump tried to keep documents from the DOJ, which had already served a grand jury subpoena for the documents *before* the employee was ordered to move them," Mariotti explained. "This testimony, combined with other facts (such as the false certification to the DOJ) suggests an effort to hide the documents from the federal government. This evidence is an aggravating factor that could weigh in favor of charging Trump."
Former federal prosecutor Richard Signorelli agreed.
"This increases the chance of Trump being indicted after the upcoming election unless [AG Merrick] Garland is dead set against it," Signorelli wrote.
Former Pentagon special counsel Ryan Goodman thought it could also influence a future jury.
"Astonishing level of evidence. That would convince jurors," he wrote.
Goodman noted the story said the testimony was corroborated by security footage.
Former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said, "Between this and the testimony of Alex Cannon (to name just two recent developments) Trump's MAL goose is cooked. As I have oft said, the issue is no longer the proof, but DOJ's will."
Harvard Law's Laurence Tribe wrote, "Day by day the evidence that proves Trump personally orchestrated the theft and concealment of top secret documents becomes stronger. Any shadow of a doubt about his guilt is rapidly vanishing."
