A federal judge on Friday denied the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to hold former President Donald Trump in contempt for allegedly failing to comply with a grand jury subpoena.
DOJ attorneys urged chief U.S. judge for the District of Columbia Beryl Howell to hold Trump in contempt for his alleged failure to comply with a subpoena issued in May that demanded Trump’s custodian of records turn over any documents marked classified that the former president had in his possession.
Former President Donald Trump arrives on stage during an event at his Mar-a-Lago home on November 15, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
However, team Trump turned over boxes and other federal records to federal law enforcement in January and June. The investigation into Trump’s handling of White House documents after his presidency ended led to August’s raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate, where the FBI seized hundreds of documents and other unrelated items from Trump’s home.
Local law enforcement officers are seen in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on August 9, 2022. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
Friday’s proceedings were under seal and not open to the public because they related to grand jury proceedings.
The DOJ had no comment after the judge denied their request to hold Trump in contempt.
After the judge’s decision, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said the former president remains committed to being “transparent and cooperative” with the DOJ’s investigation into his handling of White House documents.
Cheung said:
The President and his counsel will continue to be transparent and cooperative, even in the face of the highly weaponized and corrupt witch-hunt from the Department of Justice. Hillary Clinton was allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 emails after they were subpoenaed by Congress, yet absolutely nothing has happened to hold her accountable. If the Department of Justice can go after President Trump, they will surely come after any American who they disagree with. President Trump is the only one who stands in the way of the un-American weaponization of law enforcement.
Judge Howell reportedly urged the DOJ and Trump’s attorneys to resolve the issue themselves instead of involving the court.
