The Justice Department reportedly is set to ask a Washington grand jury to indict former President Donald Trump on charges involving his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The DOJ is said to be asking that Trump be charged with violations under the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice, the Independent reported Wednesday. The news outlet reported it learned that prosecutors are ready to ask grand jurors to approve an indictment against Trump for violating Section 793 of the U.S. criminal code, which prohibits "gathering, transmitting or losing" any "information respecting the national defense."
The Independent reported the use of Section 793, which does not refer to classified information, is said to be a decision by prosecutors to counter Trump's ability to claim that he used his authority as president to declassify documents he removed from the White House and kept at his Florida resort after his term expired in January 2021.
Just the News, citing multiple people familiar with the case, also reported Wednesday that federal prosecutors notified Trump that he is a criminal target and likely to be indicted imminently.
But Trump said any reports of a pending indictment are news to him.
"No one has told me I'm being indicted, and I shouldn't be because I've done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the "No Collusion" Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. He wrote in all caps: "A travesty of justice & election interference at a level never seen before. Republicans in Congress must make this their # 1 issue!!!"
The Independent reported prosecutors intend to ask grand jurors to vote on the indictment Thursday, but that vote could be delayed as much as a week until the next meeting of the grand jury to allow for a complete presentation of evidence, or to allow investigators to gather more evidence.
A separate grand jury in Florida has also been hearing evidence in the documents investigation. That grand jury was empaneled in part to overcome legal issues because crimes allegedly committed by Trump took place in that jurisdiction, not in Washington.
Federal law dictates prosecutors must bring charges against defendants in the jurisdiction where the crimes allegedly took place.
Trump is the target of a two-pronged investigation conducted by special counsel Jack Smith, who in addition to the classified documents, also is investigating the former president's role in the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
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