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Justice Department prosecutors agreed to grant a limited stay from prosecution to Trump adviser Kash Patel to compel him to testify in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, according to to many reports.
Prosecutors examining national security documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s stay at Mar-a-Lago gave Patel an incentive to testify in the case. after he asked before his Fifth Amendment right to incriminate himself, the Guardian spoke first. Patel is “scheduled to appear immediately” before a grand jury in DC after a federal judge ruled that the DOJ cannot compel Patel to testify without a warrant. His information is not used against him, according to the Wall Street Journal, even if he could. will be punished by using specific information from his testimony or if he is under oath.
Patel, who helped the efforts of Rep. Devin Nunes, the former head of the Russia investigation before serving on Trump’s National Security Council and later as chief of staff at the Defense Department, was widely reported to have been in the room when Trump “released” the documents. he took it home but refused to back his claim to the prosecutors. Trump’s lawyers have refused to offer evidence that he “faked” any of the documents before leaving office despite public comments. Patel, whom Trump named one of his representatives at the National Archives, in several interviews also discussed plans to release classified documents related to the Russia investigation.
Prosecutors granted Patel an immunity clause to compel him to testify in the investigation because he could not plead guilty to the Fifth Circuit if he was challenged on the charges. The DOJ’s job is to “get him to admit under oath that what he said was wrong, so that would break the barrier that Trump could raise,” predict former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti. “Now that he has the disease … he has to show it,” he said.
Prosecutors also suggested that other Trump associates were involved in the Mar-a-Lago scandal, including Trump’s attorney Christina Bobb, who “dismissed” and insists he “doesn’t want to,” according to the Journal. Bobb signed a declaration saying all the documents had been returned in response to a grand jury subpoena this summer before the FBI found more classified documents during a raid last month. of August. Bobb has hired his own attorney and said he wants to cooperate with the DOJ, the Washington Post reported last month.
Trump has repeatedly said he has leaked documents from Mar-a-Lago, falsely suggesting that the president has so much power that he can act on his mind.
“Different people say different things but as far as I’m concerned, if you’re the president of the United States, you can only show it by saying it’s canceled, even if it’s intentional,” Trump told the host. Fox News’ Sean Hannity earlier this year.
Patel, whom Trump wanted to nominate to a top position at the CIA or FBI before senior officials rebelled, also said he was in the room when Trump made the announcement. the documents.
“Trump said to the entire resource group about getting out of government that he thought the American people should have the right to publish themselves,” he told Breitbart this year. “I was there with President Trump when he said ‘We’re reporting this.'”
But Patel refused to answer questions when questioned by prosecutors, and Trump’s attorneys backed down at the request of federal Judge Richard Dearie – the independent chief in selected for the case at their request – when he asked for evidence for the reduction.
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Investigators also sought additional interviews with Walt Nauta, a former White House intern who went to work at Mar-a-Lago, according to the Journal. Nauta changed his earlier story in interviews with investigators and said Trump ordered him to move the text boxes after the May announcement. He declined to comment further “out of concern that prosecutors are considering charges against him,” according to the report.
Mariotti, the former prosecutor, said Patel’s death contract shows that the DOJ “is Trump.”
“This indicates that the DOJ is seriously considering the allegations against Trump and building a case,” he wrote.
“This is a big deal for prosecutors,” tweeted Formerly Barb McQuade. “It’s not easy to release a killer whale, but sometimes you have to sacrifice a small fish to land a big whale.”
Although the DOJ accepted the plea agreement, “it does not mean that the DOJ has promised not to prosecute” Patel, add it former appellate attorney Teri Kanefield. “Of course Patel’s direct information cannot be used, but the prosecutor can use indirect information.”
Patel can also be sued if he is under oath.
“Working with the DOJ says he’s under false pretenses,” wrote Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman, “and it looks like they’re going to bring them down if they think he’s lying on the stand.”
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