Dozens Of Mar-A-Lago Staffers Subpoenaed In Trump Special Counsel Investigation, Report Says

Topline

Dozens of Mar-A-Lago staffers ranging from restaurant servers to former President Donald Trump’s close aides have been subpoenaed in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, according to CNN, as long standing probes close in on the ex-president.

Then-President Donald Trump speaks to members of the military via teleconference from his Mar-A-Lago … [+] resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 22, 2018. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Subpoenas went out to at least two dozen staffers, reportedly to review the day-to-day operations of the resort to determine who had knowledge and access to a trove of Trump Administration records marked classified.

Trump spokeswoman Margo Martin is among those embroiled in the probe, spending Thursday answering questions from a top-level prosecutor in front of a D.C. grand jury, according to CNN, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.

Crucial Quote

“They’re casting an extremely wide net – anyone and everyone who might have seen something,” an unnamed source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Chief Critic

Trump has repeatedly denied doing anything wrong and has called the classified documents investigation one of several politically motivated “witch hunts.” The former president claims he had a “standing order” automatically declassifying all records taken out of the Oval Office, but he has not provided evidence to back that up.

Key Background

Smith is overseeing two investigations involving Trump—one into the classified documents and another into Trump’s role in the January 6 storming of the Capitol, but the former president might face his most immediate legal headache in New York. The New York Times reported last week that the Manhattan district attorney’s office asked Trump to testify in a case involving a hush money payment given to porn star Stormy Daniels late in the 2016 presidential campaign to keep her from speaking publicly about an alleged affair with Trump. The move strongly indicates an indictment is likely in the case. Trump is also facing multiple criminal investigations in New York for alleged financial fraud along with a criminal probe in Georgia looking into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

What To Watch For

Justice Department prosecutors reportedly determined last fall they had amassed enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction of justice in the Mar-A-Lago documents case. The FBI recovered hundreds of documents marked classified in an August raid, including some labeled “top secret.”