According to The Guardian, in a significant development in the ongoing investigation into former President Donald Trump’s role in the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the special counsel Jack Smith has received thousands of documents from Bernie Kerik, a prominent Trump ally and former New York police commissioner. Kerik, who was pardoned by Trump in early 2020 for crimes including tax fraud and lying to investigators, had been working closely with Rudy Giuliani on efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
The documents shared with the special counsel amount to approximately 600MB of mostly PDF files, according to Kerik’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore. Parlatore stated that he has provided all of these documents to the special counsel and is scheduled to meet with them in about two weeks to further discuss the contents.
This latest development comes as a blow to Donald Trump, who recently made headlines by revealing that the special counsel had informed him that he was a target in the investigation and might face criminal charges. Smith and his team have been meticulously examining Trump’s actions and involvement in the events that led to the January 6 attack on Congress.
Initially, Kerik had sought to withhold documents from investigators, citing privilege issues. However, the documents were ultimately cleared for release to the special counsel by Trump’s 2024 campaign, indicating a significant shift in approach.
Trump is already facing 71 criminal charges, with 34 in New York related to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and 37 in a federal investigation focused on his retention of classified records. The investigation led by Smith is expected to shed further light on Trump’s conduct during his presidency and his business affairs.
Despite the legal challenges, Trump continues to maintain a strong lead in polls regarding the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, with a considerable advantage over his closest rival, Florida governor Ron DeSantis. The 2024 presidential race is drawing attention from all corners, with the first debate just over a month away. As the investigations progress and more information comes to light, the political landscape in the United States remains dynamic and uncertain.
