愛污传媒

Skip to main content

In Trump probe, U.S. seeks to pierce attorney-client privilege

FILE - Former President Donald Trump arrives for a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., Dec. 31, 2022. Trump and some of his supporters have been more outspoken, claiming Biden is guilty of worse mishandling of classified documents than the Democrats sanctimoniously accuse Trump of being. The former president is sure to press that accusation vigorously as he campaigns to regain the White House. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) FILE - Former President Donald Trump arrives for a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., Dec. 31, 2022. Trump and some of his supporters have been more outspoken, claiming Biden is guilty of worse mishandling of classified documents than the Democrats sanctimoniously accuse Trump of being. The former president is sure to press that accusation vigorously as he campaigns to regain the White House. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
Share
WASHINGTON -

Justice Department prosecutors investigating the mishandling of classified documents at Donald Trump's Florida estate are seeking to pierce the attorney-client privilege and want to again question one of the former president's lawyers before a grand jury, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.

The privilege protects lawyers from having to tell prosecutors about confidential conversations with their clients. But prosecutors can get around that privilege if they can convince a judge that the communications they want information about were made in furtherance of a crime -- a doctrine known as the crime-fraud exception.

Prosecutors have already questioned M. Evan Corcoran before a grand jury, but he repeatedly invoked attorney-client privilege in declining to answer questions, according to the person who spoke with The Associated Press and insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

The request from prosecutors working with special counsel Jack Smith is expected to lead to closed-door arguments before the chief judge of the District of Columbia federal court about whether prosecutors can compel Corcoran to answer their questions about his conversations with Trump.

It is not the first time during the course of the investigation prosecutors have raised the spectre of criminal conduct. Last August the Justice Department revealed in a search warrant affidavit that it had probable cause to investigate the unlawful retention of national defence information as well as efforts to obstruct that probe.

It remains unclear whether Trump or anyone else will be charged, though the move is a notably aggressive act by Smith's team. A war crimes prosecutor who previously led the Justice Department's public corruption section, Smith is separately investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election and recently subpoenaed former Vice President Mike Pence as part of that probe.

A Justice Department spokesman did not return a call seeking comment Tuesday night, and Corcoran did not return an email seeking comment.

Trump's lawyers and representatives have featured prominently for months in the investigation into the retention by Trump of roughly 300 documents with classified markings at Mar-a-Lago. The Justice Department issued a subpoena last May to recover classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, but officials who visited the property were given a folder containing only about three dozen records.

One of Trump's lawyers, Christina Bobb, signed a letter stating that a "diligent search" had been conducted for classified documents and that all such records had been returned to the government. She told FBI investigators in an interview last fall that she had had not drafted the letter and that Corcoran was the one who prepared it and asked her to sign it in her role as custodian of records.

Prosecutors say they subsequently developed evidence that led them to suspect that additional classified records remained at the property. They returned in August with a search warrant, removing roughly 100 documents with classified markings.

The New York Times first reported that the Justice Department was seeking to pierce attorney-client privilege.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.