Top Donald Trump Adviser Kash Patel Given Immunity for Mar-a-Lago Documents Testimony
Kash Patel, a top Donald Trump adviser, was granted limited immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony regarding the highly sensitive Mar-a-Lago documents.
Citing two sources familiar with the matter, The Guardian reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) took an interest in Patel after he made claims that the Mar-a-Lago documents were declassified.
Sources said Patel also commented on how the documents ended up at the Florida property and how Trump's aides and lawyers replied to requests for their return.
Trump and his advisers, such as Patel, have repeatedly asserted that the Mar-a-Lago documents were declassified. However, the former president's lawyers have not repeated these claims in court filings, where they could be penalized for lying, and no evidence has emerged.
The DOJ is expected to ask Patel about the circumstances behind the government documents seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at Trump's Mar-a-Lago property in August.
Patel still maintains a personal relationship with Trump. He was summoned earlier this month to testify before a federal grand jury in Washington hearing evidence about Trump's mishandling of government documents and possible obstruction when he refused to return the documents.
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Top Donald Trump Adviser Kash Patel Testimony on Mar-a-Lago Documents
Two people familiar with the matter noted that a federal judge on Tuesday ordered Kash Patel to testify before a grand jury investigating the handling of Mar-a-Lago documents.
Judge Beryl Howell of the D.C. District Court has also granted Patel immunity from prosecution on any information he provides to the investigation.
CNN reported that Patel's grand jury appearance has yet to be scheduled. Patel has not been charged with any crime, while an attorney for him has yet to comment on the matter.
Patel spent several hours in front of the grand jury in October at the U.S. courthouse in Washington, D.C. Stanley Woodward, Patel's lawyer, refused to say what it was about at the time.
He only confirmed that he represented the former Trump adviser. Patel also received a grand jury subpoena for documents he had of any communications related to the handling of Donald Trump records in the previous weeks.
Mar-a-Lago Documents
The FBI found documents containing classified intelligence on Iran and China at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
The matter was first reported by the Washington Post, but NBC News has yet to confirm that at least one of the documents seized by the investigators contains "Iran's missile program."
After the report was published, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that the FBI and the DOJ were "leaking nonstop on the Document Hoax to the Fake News."
The former president also repeated his unsupported claims that federal officials might have planted or removed documents.
Shipping lists and emails between the White House and transition staff and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) describe the details of moving the Trump White House from Washington, D.C. to Florida, which include boxes of documents.
A GSA spokesperson noted that its contract with Trump only included shipping the boxes to Florida and not packing them. According to GSA emails, the planning for moving the boxes to Mar-a-Lago started in late June and included 1,400 pounds of "document boxes."
READ MORE: Donald Trump Says FBI Agents Raided Mar-A-Lago Home; Agency's Visit Unannounced
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Written by: Mary Webber
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