The Department of Justice (DOJ) likely has a “basis for legitimately indicting” former President Trump over the confidential and sensitive materials, according to law enforcement, that were allegedly transported to Mar-a-Lago, according to former Attorney General William Barr, who made the statement on Friday, The Hill reported.
During an appearance for “Firing Line” on PBS, Barr told Margaret Hoover that he believes the DOJ possesses sufficient proof to bring an indictment against his former boss, regarding the Mar-a-Lago case.
In a September interview with Fox News, the attorney general of the Trump administration expressed his belief that the DOJ was “getting very close” to collecting enough evidence to prosecute but expressed his desire that it would not happen due to the potential consequences and precedent-setting effects of doing so.
However, he did advise Hoover that if a former president is found guilty of a crime, they should be put on trial.
At Trump’s house in Palm Beach, Florida, the FBI found hundreds of sensitive and secret papers. An affidavit outlining the DOJ’s probable cause for the inquiry noted that months had passed as Trump’s staff resisted providing the sought materials before the search.
After learning about the special counsel on Friday, Trump criticized the DOJ and declared that he would not participate in the proceedings.
Barr said an indictment is progressively more probable but did not say whether he thinks the DOJ should seek one or if he would as attorney general.
Garland, he added, must determine whether to file charges and must evaluate the evidence against the potential consequences of doing so for the nation and the administration.
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