Special counsel Jack Smith has turned over the first batch of evidence in the classified documents case to former President Donald Trump’s legal team, according to a court filing Wednesday.
Prosecutors said in the filing that the documents include evidence obtained through subpoena and search warrants; transcripts of grand jury testimony in Washington, D.C., and Florida; witness interviews conducted through last month; and excerpts of closed-circuit television footage.
The first production of unclassified discovery includes “the grand jury testimony of witnesses who will testify for the government at this case,” according to the filing.
Prosecutors also said that Trump’s team can contact the government to arrange inspection of any unclassified items seized at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Aug. 8.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon set a tentative start date of mid-August for Trump's trial in the case in a court order unsealed Tuesday morning.
The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 14 and run for two weeks at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, the order says. Trump’s legal team, however, could delay the start date by filing motions, and the complexities of the process surrounding the Classified Information Procedures Act could also prompt a postponement.
A federal grand jury indicted Trump this month on charges that he misled federal investigators in his attempt to hold on to a trove of sensitive material that he knew was still classified.
Trump faces 37 felony counts, including making false statements, conspiracy to obstruct justice and willful retention of national defense information, stemming from more than 100 classified documents recovered from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last year, according to the indictment. He pleaded not guilty and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Trump and his Republican allies have cast his historic indictment as an effort by the Biden administration to undermine his re-election bid.
Trump’s personal aide Walt Nauta was also indicted on six counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. Nauta did not enter a plea this month, and his lawyer, Stan Woodward, declined to comment on his charges.
In the filing Wednesday, prosecutors indicated that Nauta has not yet received discovery, but they will provide it to his counsel once his appearance in the case is entered. Nauta's arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
