Jack Smith 'Ready to Charge' Donald Trump—Attorney

Special Counsel Jack Smith's office appears to be on the verge of bringing forward a federal indictment against Donald Trump as part of the classified documents investigation, according to one legal expert.

In a series of tweets, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman described how the case is "ready to charge" following key updates to the probe into allegations the former president mishandled top secret materials found at his Mar-a-Lago resort and obstructed the federal attempt to retrieve them.

This includes three of Trump's lawyers meeting with Justice Department officials, including Smith, on Monday to reportedly argue that the former president should not be charged in connection to the classified documents case, according to media outlets such as The Associated Press and The Washington Post.

Litman also made reference to the letter Trump has reportedly received from the Justice Department informing the former president is under federal investigation—another sign that an indictment is forthcoming—but downplayed its significance.

"While I'm sure it was very sobering for team Trump, the issuance of a formal 'target letter,' which prosecutors are more or less duty-bound to send on request, only confirmed what was perfectly obvious already, so doesn't really help to decipher the situation," Litman tweeted.

"The extent of the activity in the Florida grand jury, which apparently has been sitting since May 9, gives me pause, as it does most of my colleagues. But I don't think it erases the significance of the Monday meeting, which in my experience happens only when the case is ready to charge."

Trump has long denied any wrongdoing in connection to the classified documents case, and has pushed the disputed claim that all the materials recovered at his Mar-a-Lago resort were declassified before he left office.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump denied suggestions that he has been informed that he is facing federal charges in connection to Smith's probe.

"No one has told me I'm being indicted, and I shouldn't be because I've done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the 'No Collusion' Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS," Trump wrote.

The spate of activity around witnesses appearing in front of the grand jury hearing evidence as part of the classified documents case has also spread speculation that an indictment may arrive soon.

On Wednesday, Trump aide and former spokesperson Taylor Budowich confirmed he testified to the grand jury.

"Today, in what can only be described as a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to 'get' Trump, I fulfilled a legal obligation to testify in front a federal grand jury and I answered every question honestly," Budowich tweeted.

There have also been reports that Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows has answered questions under oath connected to the classified documents case, as well as Smith's probe into Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 Election and the events around the January 6 attack.

Prosecutors are said to be hoping to file a number of charges against Trump in Florida, where the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort is based, as well as D.C., in order to eliminate a potential battle through the courts.

"Because these are complicated issues that might go either way, you don't want to risk spending the first year fighting over venue," former federal prosecutor Randall D. Eliason told The Washington Post. "The bottom line is that the venue issues could be complicated and could easily result in two separate indictments with different charges and/or different defendants in D.C. and Florida."

In his tweets, Litman said that he does not believe the DoJ will try to move the entire classified documents case to Florida as there's "too much water under the bridge and it would represent such a dramatic change on plans."

Litman added: "Venue concerns are very real and very important – in brief, the courts have made clear venue is a constitutional guarantee, and if DOJ messes it up, they could lose the entire case.

"For that reason, Smith might be thinking in terms of splitting the[classified documents] case up with separate offenses, charged in separate venues. But all things being equal, trial in DC is distinctly more advantageous for DOJ."

Trump's legal team has been contacted for comment via email.