A Mar-a-Lago employee has come under scrutiny in the federal probe investigating former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified material. The employee’s actions in June and July have attracted the attention of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigators, who are examining whether Trump or individuals close to him attempted to obstruct justice or provided false information in response to a grand jury subpoena.
According to the Washington Post, sources familiar with the matter stated that the employee was questioned multiple times by investigators after being captured on video footage assisting another Trump aide in moving boxes into a storage room at Mar-a-Lago on June 2. This occurred just one day before a top Justice Department official arrived with FBI agents to collect classified material in response to the subpoena.
Additionally, authorities are investigating events in mid-July related to a separate subpoena requesting security camera footage from the property. During that time, the employee allegedly engaged in a conversation with an IT worker about the functioning of the security cameras and the duration of image storage. The employee maintains that the conversation was innocent and not an attempt to conceal anything from authorities, as they were unaware of the investigation or subpoena at the time.
However, investigators have expressed skepticism regarding the employee’s explanations. The individual’s lawyer, John Irving, declined to comment on the matter, and a spokesperson for Special Counsel Jack Smith also refrained from providing further information.
The investigation into the Mar-a-Lago documents and Trump’s handling of classified material is one of four criminal probes involving the former president. Special Counsel Smith’s team has reportedly concluded the majority of its investigative work and believes it has identified several instances of obstructive conduct, although it remains uncertain whether criminal charges will be filed.
Prosecutors have raised concerns about the timing of the box movement at Mar-a-Lago and the subsequent handing over of classified documents. Trump’s lawyers invited Justice Department officials to visit Mar-a-Lago on the same night the boxes were returned to the storage room. The following day, senior Justice Department lawyer Jay Bratt and FBI agents arrived at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump’s lawyers provided them with a sealed envelope containing 38 classified documents. During the visit, the officials were unable to open the boxes in the storage room or inspect their contents as per Trump’s lawyers’ instructions.
