There’s plenty we don’t know about Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents: Which specific charges, if any, might he bring? What’s happening in Florida with the grand jury this week? Would only Trump be charged or others, too?
But Monday’s meeting between DOJ lawyers, including Smith, and the former president’s legal team is a sign that, whatever the particulars of any charges in the documents probe, such charges are likely to come — and soon.
Indeed, MSNBC legal analyst Andrew Weissmann said he thinks Trump will be charged this week.
A zillion stories about Trump case — but bottom line is he is getting charged and it will be in DC. And this week.
— Andrew Weissmann (weissmann11 on Threads/Insta)🌻 (@AWeissmann_) June 5, 2023
Open issues are whether others may be charged and whether they will be in DC or FLA.
Weissmann explained on “Deadline: White House” on Monday that defense counsel in these sorts of cases have an opportunity to be heard before prosecutors bring charges when there aren’t concerns about the defendant, say, fleeing or committing a violent crime.
"The open issue is where the charges will be brought and who if anyone may be charged alongside Donald Trump…The one thing I am pretty confident of is that we are going to see charges… this week" – @AWeissmann_ w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/EjleBLJ2TI
— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) June 5, 2023
Likewise, MSNBC legal analyst Neal Katyal called the meeting the kind of thing defense attorneys will do as a last-ditch effort before charges are brought.
"This meeting indicates to me is that we are at the end of the Mar-a-Lago piece of the Jack Smith investigation. This is the kind of thing defense attorneys would try and do as a last ditch effort" – @neal_katyal w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/RyMkIRPT9x
— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) June 5, 2023
So, assuming that Trump’s team can’t dissuade Smith from bringing charges in what would be a historic case, be prepared for charges to drop any day now. And, as I wrote earlier on Tuesday, be prepared for Trump to continue drawing false equivalencies between his case and less serious ones that didn’t warrant charges.
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