Special counsel Jack Smith has shifted the Mar-a-Lago documents case to federal prosecutors in Florida, signaling a new phase in the ongoing legal proceedings involving Trump's co-defendants, The Hill reported.
Smith formally transferred responsibility for the Mar-a-Lago documents case to the Southern District of Florida federal prosecutors on Friday. This decision is pivotal in prosecuting President-elect Donald Trump's co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira.
Smith dropped all charges against Trump in November, citing Justice Department guidelines that prohibit prosecuting a sitting president.
The charges, dismissed without prejudice, swiftly resolved Trump's election interference case and concluded his involvement in the Mar-a-Lago documents matter.
However, the legal troubles for Nauta, Trump's personal valet, and de Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago property manager, remain unresolved. Both men face serious allegations, including obstruction of justice, making false statements to investigators, and concealing government documents.
The charges stem from accusations that the pair participated in a broader conspiracy to hide boxes of thousands of records from federal investigators and Trump's then-attorney. These records included approximately 300 documents bearing classified markings.
Investigators allege that the documents were improperly taken from the White House at the end of Trump's presidency and not returned to the National Archives as required by law.
Meanwhile, a separate investigation into President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents revealed important findings. While special counsel Robert Hur's report concluded that no criminal charges against Biden were warranted, it did identify areas of legal concern.
The report suggested that Biden had "willfully" retained and disclosed highly classified materials during his time as a private citizen. It also noted his limited recall of events and confusion surrounding the matter, which were said to have contributed to the decision not to prosecute.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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