- A federal grand jury is investigating Trump's handling of classified documents, the NYT reports.
- Trump took boxes of classified documents back to Mar-a-Lago, the National Archives said.
- The grand jury has subpoenaed the National Archives. Charges are rarely brought in cases involving the handling of classified materials.
A federal grand jury is investigating President Donald Trump's handling of classified information after leaving office, The New York Times reports.
It's a significant new step for the Justice Department, which has reportedly been interested in official presidential materials and classified documents Trump took back to his residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, after leaving the White House in January 2021.
The Washington Post first reported in February 2022 that DOJ was looking into Trump's actions and whether they violated the Presidential Records Act.
The National Archives and Records Administration, the agency charged with preserving and maintaining such documents, eventually recovered 15 boxes of materials from Mar-a-Lago. It then asked the Department of Justice to investigate whether Trump had violated federal records laws requiring the preservation of official presidential documents.
The grand jury has subpoenaed the National Archives for access to boxes containing classified documents and is seeking to interview former aides who worked in the White House at the end of Trump's presidency, The Times reported.
The newspaper also noted that charges are rarely brought over the handling of such sensitive material but an investigation is needed to determine whether there are any related lapses in intelligence gathering.
Representatives for Trump, the Department of Justice, and the National Archives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In addition to documents marked "classified," the Post and the Times have both reported that some of the items in the boxes included letters to Trump from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — which Trump described as beautiful "love letters" — a note from former President Barack Obama, a map on which Trump drew with a Sharpie to mark a possible hurricane path to Alabama, and at least one piece of clothing.
The Presidential Records Act, a 1970s-era law, requires presidents and White House staff to preserve official documents and communications including gifts received in office, letters, emails, text messages, and social media posts, and turn those items over to the Archives at the end of a president's term.
But there exist few mechanisms for the National Archives to enforce the law and punish violators.
For Trump, the grand jury investigation opens a new front of legal scrutiny and further calls the former president's recordkeeping into question. In New York, the state attorney general is investigating the finances of Trump's namesake company.
A New York state judge held Trump in contempt after finding Trump failed to comply with a subpoena from the office of Attorney General Letitia James. But Judge Arthur Engoron lifted that contempt order Wednesday but with conditions, including a requirement that Trump pay a $110,000 fine.
A separate inquiry led by the local prosecutor in Atlanta is examining whether Trump and his allies illegally interfered with Georgia's 2020 election.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.