Former President Donald Trump will have learned exactly who could testify against him in a case that charges him with illegally retaining classified documents.
The Justice Department said on Wednesday night that it had begun turning over evidence to Trump's defense team as part of the information-sharing process known as discovery.
The evidence includes the grand jury testimony of witnesses "who will testify for the government at the trial of this case," according to a court filing from special counsel Jack Smith's team.
Newsweek has contacted a Trump spokesperson for further comment via email.
The filing did not reveal who the witnesses are or what they said in their testimony.
But as journalist Anna Bower noted in a tweet, it means Trump "will find out which of his former lawyers, long-time employees, or protective service detail could testify against him."
Notably, the government will disclose grand jury testimony of anyone "who will testify for the government at the trial of this case."
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) June 22, 2023
In other words: Trump will find out which of his former lawyers, long-time employees, or protective service detail could testify against him... pic.twitter.com/Fn1f9Oywgc
According to the filing, the evidence also includes copies of interviews with Trump "conducted by non-government entities, which were recorded with his consent and obtained" by the prosecution team as well as copies of closed-circuit television footage obtained by the government.
On Monday, a federal magistrate granted Smith's request for a protective order to restrict the public disclosure of evidence that Trump receives through the discovery process.
The protective order said Trump and alleged co-conspirator, Walt Nauta, "shall not disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure."
Trump, who is currently leading the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was indicted this month on 37 felony charges, including 31 counts under the Espionage Act that accuse him of willfully retaining national defense information and refusing government demands to give it back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump urged Congress to investigate what he said were "political witch hunts" against him. He also faces charges in New York arising about hush money payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign, as well as ongoing probes in Washington and Atlanta into his efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election.
"CONGRESS, PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE POLITICAL WITCH HUNTS AGAINST ME CURRENTLY BEING BROUGHT BY THE CORRUPT DOJ AND FBI, WHO ARE TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL," Trump wrote. "THIS CONTINUING SAGA IS RETRIBUTION AGAINST ME FOR WINNING AND, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY TO THEM, ELECTION INTERFERENCE REGARDING THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION."
