(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump may be facing an imminent federal indictment over his storage of classified documents at his Florida home.
Trump’s lawyers, who met with the Department of Justice Monday, were reportedly informed by the DOJ that the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents may be indicting him as early as this week.
DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith is leading the inquiry.
Trump has already been indicted by a New York grand jury for a different state matter, but a possible federal indictment from the Department of Justice overseen by President Joe Biden, an opposing political opponent, would be unprecedented ground for U.S. politics.
“Mark my words: I believe Merrick Garland will indict Donald Trump,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on Fox News earlier this week.
Critics have been outspoken in particular because former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was long under scrutiny for her alleged mishandling of classified information and deleted emails, was never indicted.
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, called the legal proceedings “election interference.”
“A corrupt Biden Justice Department indictment of Trump could undo our Republic,” he wrote on Twitter.
Trump was hit by an FBI raid over classified documents last year that spiked his poll numbers and raised accusations of politicization of the justice system. Investigators have continued gathering evidence, though, raising concerns that the leading Republican presidential candidate may have real criminal troubles on his hands going into the election.
When asked about a Trump indictment, former Attorney General Bill Barr told CBS on Tuesday, “I suspect it is near.”
In April, Trump offered his “not guilty” plea to 34 counts during his arraignment before Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. Those charges are related to allegations that Trump paid hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels through a lawyer seven years ago and covered it up as a legal expense before being elected president.
Biden has his own problems with a similar allegation as well. Federal law enforcement officers seized classified documents found in his garage at his Delaware home as well as at a private office used by Biden. The documents come from after his time as vice president ended years ago. Some of the documents were kept at a Washington, D.C. think tank that has received substantial funding from Chinese donors. So far, Biden has not been indicted.
Trump has repeatedly blasted the investigations against him, calling them a coordinated attack to keep him from getting elected.
“Wow, this is turning out to be the greatest & most vicious instance of ELECTION INTERFERENCE in the history of our Country,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “Remember, I’m leading DeSanctimonious BIG in the Polls but, more importantly, I’m leading Biden by a lot. Also, & perhaps most importantly, they are launching all of the many Fake Investigations against me RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAMPAIGN, something which is unheard of & not supposed to happen. DOJ, FBI, NEW YORK A.G., NEW YORK D.A., ATLANTA D.A. FASCISTS ALL!”
