Trump’s Swimming Pool Flooded Surveillance Video Room At Mar-A-Lago, Report Says

Forbes Business Breaking Trump’s Swimming Pool Flooded Surveillance Video Room At Mar-A-Lago, Report Says Sara Dorn Forbes Staff Politics Following Jun 5, 2023, 05:43pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A Mar-A-Lago employee flooded the room where security footage was stored while draining the resort pool last October, CNN reported Monday—an incident that raised suspicions among Justice Department investigators who are nearing the conclusion of their investigation into former President Trump’s handling of classified documents. Former U. S.

President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on September 14, 2022, in Palm Beach, . . .

[+] Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Key Facts The DOJ questioned at least one witness about the incident, which occurred about two months after the FBI removed hundreds of classified documents from Trump’s private resort and club in a raid last August, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources. It’s unclear if the room was flooded intentionally or by mistake and prosecutors were told the IT equipment was not damaged in the flood, according to CNN.

Prosecutors have issued subpoenas for Mar-A-Lago surveillance tapes to review whether the ex-president or resort workers knowingly mishandled classified records sought by the DOJ prior to the August raid, the New York Times reported last month. The revelation comes as Trump’s lawyers met with Justice Department investigators Monday to discuss the investigation, which is reportedly nearing its conclusion as the grand jury weighing potential charges against him resumes meeting this week. Prosecutors are reportedly eyeing obstruction charges against Trump after he failed to comply with a subpoena for classified documents, while DOJ investigators suspect he may have coordinated the removal of documents from a secure storage facility where they instructed him to keep them.

The flood could also factor into a possible charge of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, CNN reported, citing multiple sources who said prosecutors are examining whether Trump and his associates took additional steps to interfere with its investigation. Key Background Trump’s lawyers met with Justice Department investigators, including special counsel Jack Smith, for about two hours on Monday to argue against filing charges against Trump, the Washington Post reported , citing people familiar with the sit-down. The meeting, which Trump’s lawyers requested about two weeks ago, indicates the agency could be nearing the conclusion of its investigation, which began after the National Archives and Records Administration alerted the DOJ of missing documents it believed were still in Trump’s possession in January last year.

Justice Department investigators have subpoenaed nearly everyone who worked at Mar-A-Lago, the New York Times reported last month, citing unnamed sources. Investigators in recent months have narrowed in on the scope of Trump’s efforts to conceal or remove the documents and have subpoenaed the Trump Organization and the software company that handles his security footage for surveillance tapes, according to the Times , which also reported that there are unexplained gaps in recordings. In a particularly damning development, CNN reported last week that the Justice Department had obtained a recording of Trump admitting he held on to a classified Pentagon document about an attack on Iran and also acknowledged he knew he did not have the authority to declassify documents after leaving office.

What To Watch For Trump believes he will be charged in the case, the New York Times reported Monday, citing people familiar with his thinking, though the timing of a potential indictment is unclear. Trump’s associates are preparing to repeat the playbook his presidential campaign used following his indictment in Manhattan Criminal Court by launching a fundraising blitz in the event of an indictment, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. Chief Critic Trump on Monday questioned “how can DOJ possibly charge me” in a post on Truth Social that came as his lawyers met with Justice Department investigators.

Asserting that he “did nothing wrong,” Trump suggested he was being treated unfairly because the DOJ has not filed charges against President Joe Biden in its investigation into his handling of classified documents. “Greatest witch hunt of all time!” Trump said, repeating his preferred phrase to refer to the various law enforcement investigations against him. Trump has repeatedly claimed innocence in his handling of classified documents he brought to Mar-A-Lago and has alleged he had the authority to declassify documents merely by “thinking about it.

” Trump’s lawyers have also broadly claimed prosecutorial misconduct in the case. Tangent The Justice Department said in an August court filing it had gathered evidence that government records were “likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation. ” The DOJ has also suggested it is specifically examining whether Trump violated three federal statutes related to the mishandling of government materials, including the Espionage Act.

Further Reading Trump Documents Investigation Heating Up: Here’s What We Know As Ex-President’s Attorneys Meet With DOJ (Forbes) DOJ Has Recording Of Trump Admitting He Kept Classified Docs, Report Says (Forbes) Trump Regrets Complying With DOJ Subpoena: ‘I . . .

Should Not Have Returned Documents’ (Forbes) Follow me on Twitter . Send me a secure tip . Sara Dorn Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.