WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are using a grand jury in Florida as part of their investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach property, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.
The grand jury joins a separate panel that has been meeting in Washington for months to consider charges against Trump for keeping hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and potentially obstructing government efforts to recover the files.
It’s unclear why prosecutors are using an additional grand jury, which was described to The Associated Press by a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss secret proceedings, or which witnesses might testify before it.
Various witnesses, including Trump lawyers, aides close to the former president and Trump Organization officials, appeared before the grand jury in Washington last year. But Florida’s use of a different grand jury suggests prosecutors could also consider at least some potential charges in that state.
Mar-a-Lago’s investigation, led by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team of prosecutors, is reportedly in its final stages, with a charging decision expected soon. Trump’s lawyers met with Justice Department officials including Smith on Monday as part of an effort by the legal team to raise concerns about what they say was prosecutorial misconduct and to try to to oppose a possible indictment.
The investigation focused not only on possession of classified documents, including at the top secret level, but also on Trump’s refusal to return the records when asked and possible obstruction. Last year, the FBI issued a subpoena for classified documents on the property, and after suspecting that Trump and his representatives had not turned over all the documents, came back with a search warrant and recovered 100 additional documents with classification marks.
Investigators interviewed a Trump associate who was seen on surveillance camera moving boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago. As part of a clog investigation centered in part on surveillance footage, they most recently expressed interest in a worker emptying a swimming pool at the resort last October, an act that caused flooding in the property, according to another person who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment on Tuesday evening whether there was another grand jury.