Former President Donald Trump faces escalating challenges as prosecutors present compelling evidence in the federal classified documents case against him. At the heart of this controversy are detailed audio notes from Trump's former lead attorney, Evan Corcoran, which prosecutors assert illustrate Trump's efforts to obstruct justice by concealing sensitive documents from federal investigators.
The backdrop of this legal drama dates back to May 2022, when a subpoena was issued demanding Trump return any classified documents in his possession. According to Corcoran's notes, Trump expressed grave concerns about the potential criminal repercussions of complying with the subpoena. "He raised a question as to, if we gave them additional documents now, would they, the Department of Justice, come back and say well, why did you withhold them and try to use that as a basis for criminal liability or to make him look bad in the press," Corcoran documented.
Despite these concerns, Trump chose to hide the documents rather than comply with the legal mandate. Federal agents ultimately seized 102 classified documents, including 17 marked as top secret, during an August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate. This seizure followed Trump's alleged attempts to enlist his lawyers in deceptive practices to avoid turning over the documents, as detailed in Corcoran's notes.
The revelations from these notes are crucial in the ongoing legal proceedings. Special Counsel Jack Smith's team has argued that Trump attempted to manipulate Corcoran into lying to the FBI or destroying documents. "Trump tried to enlist his attorney in his criminal endeavor, tested his attorney's receptiveness, and then manipulated his attorney to achieve his criminal ends when the attorney did not accept his overtures," prosecutors wrote in a recent filing.
Trump has vehemently denied these allegations, labeling the investigation a political witch hunt. His campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, accused prosecutors of lying and illegally leaking material, calling the case a "political sham."
Central to the prosecution's case are Corcoran's audio notes, which capture Trump's reluctance to allow his attorneys to review the contents of the boxes at Mar-a-Lago. "I don't want anybody looking through my boxes," Trump reportedly said. Corcoran's notes reveal Trump's repeated attempts to shift the narrative to his grievances about political persecution while avoiding direct responses to legal counsel's warnings about the consequences of non-compliance with the subpoena.
In one striking exchange, Trump allegedly asked, "Well, what if we, what happens if we just don't respond at all or don't play ball with them?" Corcoran responded by warning that such actions could lead to a search warrant. Despite these warnings, Trump persisted in suggesting that it would be "better if there are no documents," indicating his preference for concealing the materials.
Prosecutors contend that Trump's efforts to deceive Corcoran culminated in directing his aide, Walt Nauta, to move boxes out of the storage room before Corcoran could conduct a thorough search. Text messages between Nauta and a Trump family member suggest that 64 boxes were relocated to Trump's personal residence, leaving only about 30 for Corcoran's review.
Corcoran's notes describe the arduous task of sifting through the boxes, which contained a mix of personal memorabilia and official documents. He ultimately found a half-inch stack of classified documents, which he secured in a redweld envelope with duct tape. Trump's reaction to the discovery was one of concern about the legal implications and the potential media fallout.
On the day federal officials were scheduled to collect the documents, Trump expressed panic over the visit but eventually instructed Corcoran to show them the storage room. Despite handing over 38 classified documents, Trump still possessed 102 classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, underscoring his attempts to evade full compliance.
In a separate legal filing, special counsel Jack Smith defended the FBI's handling of the documents seized during the Mar-a-Lago search, countering Trump's claims of mishandling and bad faith. Prosecutors highlighted the chaotic state in which Trump maintained the documents, arguing that the integrity of the evidence was preserved.
Trump's legal team has argued that the disorderly condition of the boxes impacts their defense strategy, but prosecutors dismissed this claim, emphasizing that the fundamental issue is Trump's obstruction and mishandling of classified materials.
