Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee over alleged obstruction, report says

Jack Smith’s team has issued a similar letter in the past

The special counsel investigating former president Donald Trump threatened potential criminal charges against a Trump Organization employee suspected of lying to investigators, according to sources of ABC News.

Jack Smith transmitted a letter to a staffer that indicated that they might have perjured themselves in an appearance before the federal grand jury that ultimately indicted Mr Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents, the sources said to ABC.

The letter appears to signal Mr Smith’s interest in the Trump Organization’s handling of surveillance footage and possible efforts by the organization to avoid sharing footage with investigators.

The former president pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to his handling of classified documents from his presidency. Prosecutors allege that Mr Trump repeatedly refused to turn over hundreds of documents that contained classified information ranging from US nuclear threats to the country’s defence capabilities.

The letter informed the employee that they face the prospect of an indictment. Mr Smith’s office had previously sent a similar warning to Mr Trump in the weeks before a grand jury indicted the former president.

The employee declined to comment to ABC News, saying “It's none of your business,” as did Stanley Woodward, a lawyer who represented the employee. Investigators are reportedly looking into the employee’s role in handling surveillance footage at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, as well as any interactions he had with Walt Nauta, another employee of Mr Trump whom a grand jury indicted last month.

Mr Nauta also plead not guilty to all the charges leveled at him.

But sources said that the special counsel is not taking the position that anyone destroyed the surveillance footage but rather say that it was withheld.

Mr Smith is in charge of not only the investigation into Mr Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office but also his actions related to the January 6 insurrection.