JUST IN: DOJ Reportedly Isn’t Likely to Reveal Any Trump Charges Until After Election
by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
If former President Donald Trump ends up facing charges from the Department of Justice, they are unlikely to be revealed before the midterm elections, according to a new report.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the investigation into Trump allegedly holding onto classified documents, that an announcement of potential charges would likely happen after the election. It’s not entirely surprising as department policy bars prosecutors from filing charges that could affect an election or be seen as benefitting one particular party or candidate within 60 days.
From Bloomberg:
Under long-standing department policy, prosecutors are barred from taking investigative steps or filing charges for the purpose of affecting an election or helping a candidate or party, traditionally 60 days before an election. This year, that would be by Sept. 10, which makes it unlikely anything would be announced until after Nov. 8, said people who asked to remain anonymous speaking about potential Justice Department actions.
The report noted there have been recent announcements within those timeframes, including former FBI Director James Comey announcing a probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server as secretary of state. This was shortly before the 2016 presidential election.
Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo in May, however, where he referenced investigations into “politically sensitive individuals and entities” during campaigns, possibly suggesting the department will stick to policy and keep any announcement away from this year’s midterm elections.
“Simply put, partisan politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or prosecutors regarding any investigations or criminal charges,” Garland wrote in the memo.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property was raided by the FBI earlier this month and he has been accused of illegally storing and moving classified documents. The former president has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the investigation as a politically-motivated “witch hunt.”
