DOJ reportedly has cooperating witness inside Mar-a-Lago in Trump classified documents investigation


Federal prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents "have obtained the confidential cooperation of a person who has worked for him at Mar-a-Lago" as they focus on determining if Trump ordered boxes of sensitive material moved from a storage room at his Florida estate as the Justice Department was trying to recover them, The New York Times reports, citing multiple people familiar with the investigation.
Investigators, led by special counsel Jack Smith, "have developed what multiple people familiar with the investigation say is a wealth of testimony and evidence" about Trump's behavior as the Justice Department stepped into an effort by the National Archives to retrieve documents Trump improperly took home with him from the White House, the Times reports. "The existence of an insider witness, whose identity has not been disclosed, could be a significant step in the investigation," and the witness "is said to have provided investigators with a picture of the storage room where the material had been held."
The unidentified cooperating witness is part of a flurry of activity in Smith's investigation, including a wave of subpoenas and grand jury testimony, the Times reports. Those subpoenaed include security officials at the Trump Organization who may have information about security cameras at Mar-a-Lago as well as nearly all Mar-a-Lago employees. Smith is also investigating Trump's involvement in attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
Subscribe to 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.
A Trump spokesperson called the investigation "a targeted, politically motivated witch hunt" that is harassing "anyone who has worked for President Trump."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
After Israel's brazen Iran attack, what's next for the region and the world?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After decades of saber-rattling, Israel's aerial assault on Iranian military targets has pushed the Middle East to the brink of all-out war
-
7 touring theater productions that are out to bring the joy
The Week Recommends 'Hamilton' and 'Wicked' never die, and neither does ABBA
-
College grads are seeking their first jobs. Is AI in the way?
In The Spotlight Unemployment is rising for young professionals
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
'Postal commemoration is especially befitting'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Is Trump's military parade 'just a parade'?
Talking Point Critics see an 'echo of authoritarianism'
-
Wall Street has coined a new term for Trump's tariff threats
Feature TACO stands for 'Trump Always Chickens Out'
-
Trump's LA immigration showdown casts shadow over upcoming World Cup
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Amid a massive anti-immigrant detention push, analysts have begun to worry about the United States' plan to host one of the world's biggest athletic events
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Why is ABC's firing of Terry Moran roiling journalists?
Today's Big Question After the network dropped a longtime broadcaster for calling Donald Trump and Stephen Miller 'world-class' haters, some journalists are calling the move chilling
-
'The attack doesn't need to be so blunt'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day