Former President Donald Trump prompt Monday that he’s near being charged within the Division of Justice’s investigation into his dealing with of categorised paperwork.
In a web based submit conveying panic, Trump expressed disbelief that he might be indicted and mentioned he’s harmless of all wrongdoing.
“How can DOJ presumably cost me, who did nothing incorrect, when no different president’s [sic] had been charged,” he posted in all caps on his Reality Social account.
Trump’s message got here shortly after his attorneys met with Justice Division officers in Washington on Monday, The Washington Put up and The New York Occasions reported. The attorneys requested the assembly in an try and persuade officers in opposition to costs, in response to the Put up.
In his on-line submit, Trump argued that President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ought to face costs as a substitute of him.
Clinton “wasn’t even near being charged! Solely Trump — the best witch hunt of all time!” he wrote.
Biden and Clinton have additionally confronted scrutiny for his or her dealing with of categorised paperwork. A particular counsel is investigating after paperwork with categorised markings had been present in Biden’s workplace and residential, whereas an investigation into Clinton’s use of a personal e mail server throughout her time as secretary of state resulted in no costs, although she was admonished for being “extraordinarily careless” by then-FBI Director James Comey.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was additionally not charged after categorised paperwork had been discovered at his residence earlier this yr. The Justice Division just lately ended its investigation into Pence’s dealing with of these paperwork, and Pence ― who on Monday filed to run in opposition to Trump within the 2024 election ― was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Errors had been made, and I take full accountability,” Pence mentioned after the paperwork had been present in January.
The investigation into Trump is contemplating whether or not he or others near him mishandled categorised paperwork or obstructed authorities efforts to retrieve them.
Trump reportedly had greater than 300 categorised paperwork at his Florida property, Mar-a-Lago, after leaving the White Home, and his staff had been reportedly seen shifting packing containers of paper earlier than the FBI and a federal prosecutor visited the property early final yr.
Final week, it was additionally reported that Particular Counsel Jack Smith, who’s main the investigation into Trump’s dealing with of the paperwork, obtained audio from 2021 that captures the previous president showing to brag about having a categorised doc associated to Iran.
On Thursday, Trump mentioned he doesn’t “know something” about that recording and claimed, with out supporting proof, that he had the best to declassify paperwork as president.