The investigation at the Justice Department into Donald Trump’s allegedly willful retention of classified documents has actually been continuing even after the emergence of a criminal case against the former president, and among recent revelations has been that authorities have heard from Susie Wiles, an operative around Trump who the ex-president allegedly showed classified materials.
On MSNBC, Alyse Adamson — a former assistant U.S. Attorney — discussed how prosecutors’ access to and information from Wiles could provide a foundation for what would apparently be additional criminal charges against Trump in the docs case, though he’s already facing the possibility of further prosecution in matters such as the federal investigation into attempts after the last presidential election to upend its outcome.
“We heard former President Trump say that he wasn’t really showing classified documents, it was just bravado,” Adamson told host Michael Steele. “These were just random papers he had. But now we have a witness who is likely going to say, ‘No, that was a map.’ We have someone who was present that can refute Donald Trump’s claims, and so I think that’s very important because all we have right now is an audio recording. And so, yes, he is making statements that are important for his knowledge and intent that he was hanging on to classified documents, which is important for the ultimate charges in this matter. But to have a witness to say, ‘Yes, I actually saw classified documents,’ that can lay the foundation for those additional very serious charges.”
Rumors were recently circulating of additional criminal charges in the documents matter, though it’s unclear what that might look like. In theory, the further criminal allegations could be against someone other than Donald, though there could also be another level to the case against Trump that would be included in a superseding indictment. Trump has gotten desperate-sounding, having recently claimed that a past reference he made to having “plans” actually meant just documents like building plans… which sounds like something he just made up on the spot when under pressure. Watch Adamson’s televised comments below:
