Special Counsel Jack Smith has been calling witnesses to appear before a grand jury in Florida this week as part of the investigation into classified documents found at former President Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago home. Smith is thought to be nearing a decision on whether to bring charges.
Florida is a venue change — Smith had called witnesses before a grand jury in D.C. for months — and one that could be significant.
“The move is a sign Smith is weighing filing charges there [in Florida] in addition to or instead of D.C. as defendants have a right to face trial where the alleged crime took place,” The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch wrote, adding that “a defendant can move to dismiss charges they believe haven’t been brought in the correct location.”
Potential charges in the case include willful retention of documents and obstruction of justice charges related to efforts to keep the documents.
Some of the activity prosecutors have looked into occurred in Florida.
Read more on the potential significance of the venue change here.
More coverage from The Hill:
- Check out today’s issue of The Hill’s Campaign Report newsletter, where Max Greenwood looks at how a federal indictment could affect the 2024 election.
- See
Alexander Bolton‘s piece on congressional Republicans’ moves against the Department of Justice and FBI related to the Trump investigations.
IN OTHER NEWS…Trump’s lawyers on Thursday requested a new trial in the case in which Trump was recently found liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Trump’s team argues the monetary award for the sexual abuse verdict was excessive because he wasn’t found liable for rape and that the defamation claim was based on speculation. Trump has separately appealed the verdict in the case.