Trump under investigation for the handling of classified material
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Federal prosecutors are launching a grand jury investigation into the role former President Donald Trump and other White House officials took in the mishandling of classified documents, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing "two people briefed on the matter."
The investigation began after the National Archives discovered that 15 boxes containing government documents were removed from the White House and taken to Trump's Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, in January 2021.
Federal authorities were only in the preliminary stages of investigating in April; however, authorities have now reportedly decided to take action. "In recent days … prosecutors [have] issued a subpoena to the National Archives and Records Administration to obtain the boxes of classified documents," writes the Times. There have also been requests to interview other White House workers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Discovering the truth of what happened with the classified documents might be challenging. Authorities would have to show that Trump and other White House officials "knowingly and intentionally broke the law" by proving the people involved understood that taking the materials out of the White House was illegal.
In the past 15 months since Trump left office, the former president has faced many legal problems. "The decision to move forward with an investigation into the classified documents could draw the [Justice Department] even deeper into the country's political tensions," writes the Times. Read more at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Anahi Valenzuela has worked as an editorial assistant at The Week since 2022, where she assists with magazine content and covers the week's best photos. She started her career as a media producer at The Daily Californian and a writer for College Magazine.
-
What to know before filing your own taxes for the first timethe explainer Tackle this financial milestone with confidence
-
The biggest box office flops of the 21st centuryin depth Unnecessary remakes and turgid, expensive CGI-fests highlight this list of these most notorious box-office losers
-
The 10 most infamous abductions in modern historyin depth The taking of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, is the latest in a long string of high-profile kidnappings
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
