The DOJ has requested a judge in Washington to hold the office of former President Donald Trump in contempt of court as they failed to obey a subpoena issued in May. The subpoena has instructed Trump to return stolen classified documents that are still in his possession. It indicates how combative the matter has become between Trump and the DOJ.
Lawyers of the DOJ have recently asked Beryl Howell, a US Dist. Judge to initiate contempt proceeding against Trump office, the request coming after intensifying frustration with the legal team of the disgraced president.
The hearing came up on Friday. The DOJ earlier had received assurances from Trump’s lawyers that a meticulous search had been done for any classified papers at his residence and club in Florida. But the Federal Bureau of Investigation has evidence suggesting that more papers remain at the Trump residence. This input was later established through a search authorized by the court.
Trump’s lawyers have refused to appoint a record custodian who would sign papers corroborating that all classified materials were returned by Trump’s team to the government.
The DOJ has time and again sought a written declaration from Trump and his team that they had no further documents in their possession. But Trump’s team has refused to appoint a person who would have a written document that affirmed that they had no documents in their possession and also state that all such documents had been returned to the US government.
DOJ Team Suffers Setback As Judge Refuses To Hold Trump Team In Contempt Over Mar-a-Lago Papers
Judge Howell has refused to grant the Justice Department’s request to initiate a contempt proceeding against Trump’s team. The decision came during a closed-door hearing at a Washington courthouse.
Trump’s team has claimed that his counsel would continue to be transparent and cooperative. They termed the DOJ action as a corrupt witch-hunt and, termed it highly weaponized.
