Federal Judge Beryl Howell has ruled in favor of the Justice Department in a dispute over sought testimony from Evan Corcoran, a lawyer for Donald Trump who has been involved with the ex-president’s side of the dispute over classified documents from his administration eventually recovered from Mar-a-Lago.
That dispute, of course, grew into a criminal investigation led by Special Counsel Jack Smith that now covers both the harboring of the documents themselves and potentially related obstruction of justice. Corcoran, among other roles, specifically drafted a statement claiming to the Justice Department last year before an eventual raid that everything covered by a subpoena for the classified documents was getting returned. He already appeared for testimony but cited the concept of attorney-client privilege in declining to answer some questions, which led the Justice Department to seek a court move forcing his testimony on the rhetorical grounds that the communications between Corcoran and his client, meaning Trump, may evidence planning a crime. Howell evidently accepted that argument.
It’s a notion similar in nature to what federal Judge David Carter found when letting the House committee that investigated the Capitol riot get around any privileges and access certain records from Trump attorney John Eastman. The application of the argument here means, just to be clear, that it’s conversations with Trump about which he’ll be asked in the next round of questioning towards which the dispute is moving, although CNN noted there weren’t many details available about the specific questions Corcoran may be asked. Appeals were also possible, and such developments could, of course, delay prosecutors obtaining those details.
Also recently reported in this category of federal investigative work were dozens of subpoenas for staff members at Mar-a-Lago and aides to the ex-president, and among those from whom the investigative team already heard were a member of the resort’s staff who was seen moving items with former military valet Walt Nauta, who already came under scrutiny, and Margo Martin, who had a stint in the Trump White House and still works with the ex-commander-in-chief. Elsewhere, Trump is also facing the possibility of criminal charges within days connected to the scandal of illegally provided hush money for adult film star Stormy Daniels and the falsified business records at the Trump Organization covering the reimbursements to the associate who provided it.
