Justice Department announces special counsel to oversee Trump probe

In the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, the Justice Department has observed a traditional quiet period of refraining from any public action that could have political consequences.

But behind the scenes, investigators remained busy, using aggressive grand jury subpoenas and secret court battles to press witnesses in the probe into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of national security documents in his palms. Testify in the investigation Beach House.

Federal investigators have been planning a lot of post-election activity in the Trump-related probe. That includes the possibility of indicting associates of Trump — moves that could become more complicated after Trump announced his candidacy for president on Tuesday.

“They can bring charges against almost anyone if they want to,” said a defense attorney working on Jan. 17. 6 on a related matter, who added that defense lawyers “do not know” who will ultimately be prosecuted.
“It’s a horrible thing,” the lawyer said.

The Justice Department has hired a think tank to provide high-level advice on the Trump investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.

Senior justice officials have already set their sights on the old guard of former Southern District of New York prosecutors, adding David Ruskin, a Kansas City-based federal prosecutor and national security expert, and David Rowdy, a prosecutor-turned-defense attorney, to the investigation’s special case. Handled gang and conspiracy cases and worked extensively with government collaborators.

Roddy left a lucrative partnership at prominent corporate defense law firm Sidley Austin in recent weeks to become a senior Justice Department counsel in Washington’s criminal division, according to his LinkedIn profile and sources familiar with the move. .

The DC US Attorney’s Office team handles Jan’s day-to-day work. 6 Investigations are also ramping up — even as the office has ongoing incitement cases against right-wing extremists.

Jan was joined by a number of other prosecutors. Six investigative teams, including a senior fraud and public corruption prosecutor who has left his supervisory position to join the team, and a prosecutor with years of experience working in criminal appeals, are now involved in some grand jury activity.

All in all, the reshuffling of prosecutors suggests a serious and snowballing investigation into Trump and his closest circle.

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