Following revelations that the boxes of files recovered from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home were allegedly altered or manipulated, House Republicans are investigating whether the former president's classified documents investigation is tainted, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.
House Judiciary Committee head Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said he has "grave concerns" about the Department of Justice's "commitment to impartial judgment" in a letter to the DOJ.
The GOP contends that the manipulation of the boxes constitutes "witness tampering."
The alleged tampering was discovered by Trump aide Walt Nauta's legal team as they looked through the evidence shared with them by Special Counsel Jack Smith's prosecution, according to Jordan's letter.
Smith has accused Nauta, who has pleaded not guilty, of conspiring with Trump to thwart the probe and he faces charges of misleading federal prosecutors, the Daily Mail reported.
Jordan's letter also contends 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 if they cooperate with federal officials.
The letter stated that this "admission, unfortunately, reflects a broader trend of attorneys for... Smith's team violating ethical norms in persecution of President Trump, adding that "given these highly concerning disclosures about the serious ethical lapses in ... 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 wants the DOJ to turn over documents and communications related to potential ethics probes into Smith and information on why the boxes of documents were manipulated, giving a May 20 deadline to comply with the request.
Trump 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.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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