CNN has reported that former US President Donald Trump’s legal team is mulling whether to let federal agents back to Mar-a-Lago to conduct a supervised search. The move is being considered to put to rest all concerns the Justice Department has about the return of all sensitive documents.
The Justice Department has said this several times that Trump did not comply with a May subpoena ordering the return of all documents marked classified, and that some records are still missing. The FBI reportedly seized nearly 22,000 pages when they searched the Mar-a-Lago in August.
Also Read | Donald Trump had more than 700 classified documents at Mar-a-Lago
However, nothing has been confirmed yet and Trump’s legal team is still considering if the move will jeopardize Trump and how safe is it to invite back federal agents. “It’s a risk to invite a DOJ lawyer to lunch let alone back to Mar-a-Lago,” said a person close to Trump.
While Trump continues to put forward legal theories that everything he took with him was his personal property, he is reportedly facing the pressure of multiple legal battles and wants to get rid of some of it. This is why he has asked his team to take a more accomodating approach towards the Justice Department.
In earlier court filings, prosecutors claimed that the subpoena was not fully complied with and “efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation.”
Also Read | Trump moves Supreme Court over Mar-a-Lago search
Trump has reportedly been advised by his more experienced lawyers to become more amenable towards the whole thing. This comes after he once even accused the federal investigators of planting evidence during their search at Mar-a-Lago.
As the November midterms loom, Trump is hoping to ease some legal pressure as he thinks of future political moves. However, Trump’s insistence that the documents are his personal property complicates the matter. “I want my documents back!” the former President said in early October.
(With inputs from agencies)
