A federal grand jury in Miami is continuing its investigation into former President Donald J. Trump’s possession of classified documents and presidential records at his private club in Florida after leaving office. Witnesses, including Taylor Budowich, a former spokesman for Mr. Trump, have been summoned for questioning by the prosecutors working under special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the inquiry.
Mr. Budowich’s appearance did not reveal what questions the prosecutors asked him or what answers he provided. However, he was working for Mr. Trump at a time when the Justice Department began investigating his handling of classified materials in 2021, and National Archives officials were trying to retrieve them.
After his appearance, Mr. Budowich tweeted that he answered every question honestly. He also criticized the grand jury inquiry as “a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to ‘get’ Trump.”
Mr. Budowich’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward Jr., refused to comment on the investigation.
The investigation into the documents’ possession is nearing its end, and Mr. Smith is expected to make a decision about whether to charge Mr. Trump or some of his aides. The special counsel’s office is also looking into Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, although the status of that investigation seems to be lagging behind the classified documents case.
Most of the investigation has been conducted by a grand jury in Washington, who have heard from various witnesses, including former White House advisers, Mar-a-Lago employees, and over 20 members of Mr. Trump’s Secret Service detail. The grand jury in Miami has heard from only a few witnesses, including some Mar-a-Lago employees.
It’s unclear how many more witnesses the Miami grand jury will summon. Reports suggest that the grand jury in Washington may have either expired or paused its hearing of testimonies, with the last witnesses appearing in May. If prosecutors press charges against Mr. Trump, it’s unclear whether the indictment would be filed in Washington, Miami, or both.
The events of the documents’ inquiry occurred primarily in Florida, including the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago last summer. However, national security prosecutors at the Justice Department in Washington opened the case. Legal experts have been debating which location would provide prosecutors with the best venue to sustain criminal charges.
