In a recent filing, prosecutors working with special counsel Jack Smith have disputed former President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss the case involving classified documents. The dispute centers around how materials found in boxes during the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022 were handled by investigators.
The prosecutors have provided new images and a detailed 30-page filing outlining the search process and criticizing Trump’s legal arguments. They highlighted Trump’s choice to store documents containing highly sensitive information in cardboard boxes, along with other personal items from his presidency.
Trump’s legal team has raised concerns about the order of contents in the boxes being changed, affecting their ability to build a defense regarding the placement of classified material and other documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
The new filing from Smith’s team delves into the specifics of how the search was conducted, the protocols followed by FBI agents, and how documents were removed from the boxes.
Investigators found boxes with their contents spilled on the floor, as depicted in photos taken by investigators and one of Trump’s co-defendants. The prosecutors ridiculed Trump’s argument that the precise order of contents was critical to his defense.
To support their arguments, prosecutors attached new photos of the boxes, including those taken during the search and by Trump’s co-defendant. They also emphasized that the integrity of each container where evidence was found has been maintained.
In response to defense claims about internal FBI emails, prosecutors revealed that the emails actually referred to additional classified material discovered at Mar-a-Lago after the search. They also pointed out contradictions in Trump’s previous remarks about the documents.
Prosecutors concluded that Trump’s accusations against law enforcement professionals were unfounded and urged the court to see through his explanations in the motion to dismiss the case.
