It’s not quite a Trump-style media circus in Miami yet, but it’s shaping up to be one.
Dozens of out-of-town reporters, photographers and TV camera crews gathered outside the downtown federal courthouse on Thursday — killing time in white tents with snacks, l water and books – hoping to get a piece of news from a secret grand jury summoned to the seventh floor in a room next to a cafeteria, no less.
Is former President Donald Trump’s indictment imminent? How long?
Nothing was clear Thursday afternoon, but jurors are considering evidence from the Justice Department’s classified documents investigation against Trump, who could potentially be charged as early as Friday with illegally storing classified documents in his estate. from Mar-a-Lago to Palm Beach. If indicted — and that was still unknown — Trump may have to make a first appearance in Miami Magistrates Court as early as Friday afternoon like any newly indicted defendant.
The grand jury summons in Miami came as a surprise to many because for months Special Counsel Jack Smith presented evidence to grand jurors in Washington, DC.
Given the secrecy, rumors and uncertainty abound.
Will Miami jurors indict Trump for illegally storing hundreds of classified documents at his private residence and club, Mar-a-Lago, while obstructing FBI efforts to retrieve them? Will Washington DC jurors separately indict Trump on charges related to inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection on Capitol Hill to prevent Congressional certification of the Electoral College vote before handing over power to Joe Biden?
No one seems to know at the moment, despite 24/7 coverage from The New York Times, AP and other major news outlets in recent days. Many outlets had reporters stationed in Miami.
On Thursday, The Times reported that federal prosecutors informed Trump’s legal team that he was the target of their investigation into his handling of classified documents after he left office, according to two people familiar with the matter. The notification to Trump’s team by prosecutors at the Office of Special Counsel was the clearest signal yet that the former president is likely to face charges in the investigation.
It wasn’t entirely clear on Thursday who was appearing in the Miami grand jury room on the seventh floor of the federal courthouse, which is located next to a cafeteria aptly called “The Constitution.” In the cafeteria, a Miami Herald reporter spotted a local federal prosecutor, Matthew Thakur, who was seconded to work on Smith’s team investigating the Trump documents. Karen Gilbert is another local prosecutor working on Smith’s team.
The Miami grand jury, a 23-member body that began reviewing documents and hearing testimony last month, may still be considering evidence but could also vote on whether to indict Trump.
The day before, CNN reported that the last witness to appear before the Miami panel was Taylor Budowich, a former Trump spokesperson who now runs a super PAC called MAGA. Inc. CNN reported that Budowich and his attorney, Stanley Woodward, refused to answer questions when they arrived at the federal courthouse in downtown Miami.
The Mar-a-Lago investigation, led by Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, appears to be coming to an end and speculation on social media has intensified that a final decision may be near. on whether to charge the former president or others involved. in document processing. Multiple media outlets reported that Trump’s lawyers met at the Justice Department in Washington on Monday with officials including Smith as part of an effort by the legal team to argue against a possible indictment.
The Justice Department has been tight-lipped about the investigation and it’s unclear why twin grand juries might be employed in the investigation. A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment Tuesday night to The Associated Press even on the existence of a second grand jury.
But legal experts have told numerous media outlets, including the Miami Herald, that this suggests the possibility that at least part of any case will be filed and prosecuted in South Florida.
The former president spoke about the ongoing investigation on his social media site and in interviews. Trump recently called the Todd Starnes radio show, where he confirmed the Justice Department’s meeting with his attorneys: “Well, I can just say this: They came in and they saw them and they said very No other president has ever been accused of anything like his.
The investigation stems from a long dispute over accusations that the former president mishandled classified records. Months after his departure, Trump engaged in a confrontation with the National Archives and then the FBI over the release of the classified documents – including information about a foreign country’s nuclear capabilities and military defenses – leading to the seizure of top secret documents from his private club last summer. .
