Trump directed staff to move boxes at Mar-a-Lago after subpoena was served: Report

The Washington Post has reported that former US president Donald Trump ordered an employee to move out boxes at his Mar-a-Lago residence after his legal team received a subpoena for any classified documents at the Florida estate. The employee reportedly told FBI that he was told to do so and the agency even has surveillance footage showing a staffer moving boxes out of the storage room.

The said subpoena was served in May this year and new evidence could prove extremely helpful for the FBI's investigation into Trump and various crimes, such as obstruction, destruction of government records and mishandling of classified information.

Also Read |Donald Trump to sit for deposition in a rape lawsuit case

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The employee had earlier denied shifting any documents, but the FBI went back with more proof that prompted the employee to change his account and accept the accusation that Trump did order the boxes be moved.In August, the FBI raided his Florida home and found thousands of documents, with around a 100 marked as classified.

The Department of Justice had earlier alleged that documents were "likely concealed and removed" at the Mar-a-Lago estate in an attempt to obstruct FBI's investigation into the matter. Trump had returned 15 boxes to the National Archives in January, but the Justice Department sought documents marked classified which it suspected were still at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump then directed his staff to search for any remaining classified material to comply with the subpoena. The FBI retrieved some documents in June and was assured by Trump's lawyers that all classified materials had been returned and there were no more in the storage area. But in August, prosecutors alleged that boxes of documents were removed from the estate before Trump's lawyers searched the place.

(With inputs from agencies)