Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Special Counsel Jack Smith have received a severe warning from prominent Republican senators, who want all documents pertaining to the probes against former President Donald Trump to be preserved. Concerns regarding the improper treatment of federal records and political prejudice within the Justice Department are raised by the call, which is described in a comprehensive letter.
The letter addresses previous cases of alleged destruction or improper handling of federal information related to politically motivated inquiries. The senators cited instances where members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team purportedly erased data from government-issued phones as part of the Mueller probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. One senior team member is suspected of repeatedly erasing data, allegedly by using wrong passwords, according to the charges. The senators contend that these measures cast doubt on whether the removals were a deliberate attempt to hide investigative findings from agency and congressional oversight.
“The frequency of data deletions and the closeness in time to the DOJ Inspector General’s investigation point to a concerning pattern,” the letter says. Concerns regarding record destruction during the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified material were also brought up by the lawmakers. The senators contend that the FBI endangered the integrity of prospective evidence when it agreed to trash laptops belonging to Clinton’s staff.
According to the letter, former senior FBI officer Timothy Thibault, who was involved in one of Smith’s investigations, violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from participating in partisan political activities, and showed anti-Trump bias.
The senators argue that maintaining accountability and transparency requires keeping all documents pertaining to Smith’s investigations. “It must be done properly and without political bias if a politically charged case is to be opened,” they said.
The senators expressed concerns about potential media leaks from staff members participating in the Smith and Mueller investigations, in addition to their worries about record preservation. They cited a Washington Post article that described an inquiry into purported connections between Trump and the Egyptian government that was eventually closed for lack of proof. According to the letter, the senators demanded answers regarding whether a media leak inquiry had been initiated because the report seemed to rely on internal Justice Department materials and sensitive U.S. intelligence.
“The improper conduct of the past cannot be repeated,” the letter concludes with a sobering warning.
Smith has requested that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily pause the case involving President-elect Donald Trump and sensitive papers. Smith cited the outcomes of the November 5 presidential election in a filing this week, emphasizing that Trump is anticipated to receive his official certification as president-elect on January 6, 2025, prior to his inauguration on January 20.
In order to give the Department of Justice time to assess the case’s course in light of its policies respecting sitting presidents, Smith has asked the court to postpone the appeal until December 2. It has historically been the department’s policy not to bring charges against presidents while they are in office.