Trump ally testifies before Miami grand jury in DOJ’s Mar-a-Lago documents probe

07 June 2023

Former President Donald Trump's legal team is not only preparing his defense in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr.'s 34-count prosecution — it is also keeping a very close eye on what happens with investigations being conducted by special counsel Jack Smith for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Fulton County DA Fani Willis for the State of Georgia.

One of Smith's two Trump-related investigations involves the January 6, 2021 insurrection and the former president's activities following the 2020 election; the other is probing government documents stored at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has maintained that the documents were declassified, but his critics have been pushing back against that claim.

In South Florida, a grand jury has been hearing testimony in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. And one of the witnesses, CNN's Katelyn Polantz reports, is Trump ally and former aide Taylor Budowich, who operates the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA, Inc.

On Wednesday morning, June 7, Budowich tweeted, "Today, in what can only be described as a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to 'get' Trump, I fulfilled a legal obligation to testify in front a federal grand jury and I answered every question honestly."

The MAGA, Inc. leader railed against Smith's investigation, adding, "America has become a sick and broken nation — a decline led by Joe Biden and power hungry Democrats. I will not be intimidated by this weaponization of government. For me, the need to unite our nation and make America great again has never been more clear than it is today. That starts with re-electing President Donald J. Trump, a purpose I will not be deterred from pursuing."

Why the grand jury is in Florida instead of another state, Polantz notes, is "unclear."

According to Polantz, "Smith's investigation into potential mishandling of classified materials and possible obstruction appears to be nearing the final stages of the investigation…. Sources close to Trump told CNN they are unaware of the reasoning for the Florida grand jury. Smith has the authority to operate and bring charges in any federal court jurisdiction. He has yet to bring any charges, and Trump has denied any wrongdoing."

Polantz notes what CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor, "said there are benefits and drawbacks to bringing a case in either Florida or Washington, DC."

"The difficulty for Smith, Honig said, is that Florida would be a more obvious place to file charges based on the actions at Mar-a-Lago," Polantz reports. "But Washington may give prosecutors a more favorable jury pool at trial to win a conviction if charges are brought."

CNN's full report is available at this link.

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