Former President Donald Trump reportedly was not interested in settling the classified documents case with the Justice Department (Picture: EPA)
Former President Donald Trump reportedly rejected his lawyers’ advice to try to settle the classified documents case long before the federal indictment that could spell jail time.
One of Trump’s lawyers, Christopher Kise, proposed approaching the Justice Department to negotiate a settlement involving returning the documents to avoid charges against Trump. But after hearing other lawyers suggest fighting, Trump decided against trying to settle, three sources told The Washington Post late Wednesday.
Accordingly, Kise in fall 2022 never reached out to prosecutors for a possible settlement. In mid-November, the Justice Department appointed special counsel Jack Smith to oversee the probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents he took from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago home.
Fast-forward to June 9, the Justice Department unsealed a 37-count indictment against Trump. The former president pleaded not guilty to all counts in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday.
Former President Trump (middle) appeared on classified document charges after a federal indictment at Wilkie D Ferguson Jr US Courthouse, alongside his attorneys Christopher Kise and Todd Blanche in Miami, Florida on Tuesday (Picture: Reuters)
Trump in a speech at his Bedminster golf club assured his supporters that nothing will stop his 2024 presidential bid – but he could face decades behind bars due to the federal charges.
Kise did not comment on the report.
Now Trump’s lawyers are forging forward with defending the ex-president.
‘President Trump has consistently been in full compliance with the Presidential Records Act, which is the only law that applies to Presidents and their records,’ Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told The Post.
Former President Donald Trump delivered remarks outside the clubhouse at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, hours after being arraigned in federal court in Miami on 37 felony charges in the classified documents case (Picture: Getty Images)
‘In the course of negotiations over the return of the documents, President Trump told the lead DOJ official, “anything you need from us, just let us know.”
‘Sadly, the weaponized DOJ rejected this offer of cooperation and conducted an unnecessary and unconstitutional raid on the President’s home in order to inflict maximum political damage on the leading presidential candidate.’
Trump has been relatively quiet since the historic day on Tuesday. On Wednesday, his 77th birthday, he made just a couple of posts on Truth Social about in indictment raising him millions of dollars and giving him ‘greater’ poll numbers. Early Thursday, he shared the full video of his remarks and thanked his supporters again.
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Ex-President Donald Trump’s lawyer reportedly proposed that he try to settle the classified documents case with the Justice Department.