Special Counsel Jack Smith has admitted that federal prosecutors tampered with evidence in the criminal case against former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents. According to a recent court filing, prosecutors revealed that documents seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence were not in the same order as when they were found, and some were mislabeled or misplaced. The government’s “filter team” did not prioritize maintaining the sequence of documents within each box, leading to confusion.
The filing also mentions that early inventories and scanned records of the seized document boxes were created close to the time of the seizure, making them the best available evidence of the documents’ original order. However, there are discrepancies in some boxes between the physical documents and the associated scans. This revelation contradicts previous representations made by government counsel.
Additionally, the filing suggests that the Department of Justice and FBI may have lost and mislabeled some documents during the seizure. Blank sheets of paper were used as substitutes and cover papers for potential classified documents, which were later replaced with proper covers after the boxes were brought to Washington DC. The special counsel’s office expressed uncertainty about the accuracy of the classification of some seized documents.
In response to these revelations, Trump’s defense team filed a motion to dismiss the case due to prosecutorial misconduct. The case against Trump involves 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified documents, with three additional counts added in July. The White House and DOJ collaborated closely in crafting the case against Trump, making it a significant legal battle for the former president.
Truth Voices has reported on various developments in the case, including deep state pressure to prosecute Trump, White House involvement, and the revocation of Trump’s security clearance. Speculation has also emerged suggesting that the FBI raid on Trump’s property may have been an attempt to cover up the intelligence community’s role in the Russia hoax.
Overall, the case against Trump is a complex and politically charged legal battle with significant implications for the former president and his political opponents.
