The Trump Organization has been ordered to hand over records related to foreign real estate deals made since Donald Trump entered the White House – as the investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents continues to heat up.
Two sources told the New York Times that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office has subpoenaed the business empire for documents on real estate licensing and development dealings made in seven countries since he was sworn into office in 2017.
The countries are: China, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
It is not clear what Mr Smith’s office is expecting to find in the records, when the subpoena was issued or what material may have been turned over as a result.
However, a source said that several of the classified documents found at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate were related to Middle Eastern nations.
During his time in office, the Trump Organization swore off any foreign business deals.
After Mr Trump left the White House, he struck a deal with Saudi- backed golf venture LIV Golf – a deal that the Times previously revealed Mr Smith’s office had subpoenaed the Trump Organization for records over.
Now, the latest move from federal prosecutors reveals they are expanding the probe into the handling of classified documents and suggests they are looking into whether there are any connections between Mr Trump’s foreign business dealings and the particular documents he took with him when he left office, the Times reported.
It’s the latest sign that the investigation into the classified documents Mr Trump took to Mar-a-Lago is heating up.
Last week it emerged that the National Archives had found a trove of records proving the former president knew he shouldn’t have taken classified documents to Mar-a-Lago.
The National Archives sent a letter, obtained by CNN, to Mr Trump revealing that it had found 16 presidential records showing he and his top advisers were aware of the correct declassification process when he was in the White House.
“The 16 records in question all reflect communications involving close presidential advisers, some of them directed to you personally, concerning whether, why, and how you should declassify certain classified records,” wrote archivist Debra Steidel Wall.
Those records will now be turned over to Mr Smith by 24 May.
Mr Trump has repeatedly falsely claimed that he was allowed to take classified documents with him when he left the Oval Office.
He has also falsely claimed that the documents “automatically” became declassified when he took them with him from the White House.
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Source: /www.independent.co.uk
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