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Trump attorneys reveal new details about recovered documents and say Justice Dept. should "stand down" on probe
CBSN
Washington — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday urging the Justice Department to "stand down" in its investigation into the former president's handling of sensitive records after he left the White House, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by CBS News.
The correspondence — from attorneys Timothy Parlatorre, Jim Trusty, John Rowley and Linsdey Halligan — offers a possible preview of the Trump team's defense of the former president as he faces the possibility of criminal prosecution by special counsel Jack Smith after documents with classified markings from Trump's time in office were recovered at his Florida residence.
The letter portrays a hasty transition from the White House after the 2020 election amid Trump's unproven claims of election fraud in which "White House staff simply swept all documents from the President's desk and other areas into boxes" that were then transported to Florida.
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This story previously aired on Feb. 10, 2024. It was updated on Feb. 15, 2025. AMIE HARWICK (video): You can seek therapy to address an issue like depression, anxiety, a breakup. You can also seek therapy to be a better you! GARETH PURSEHOUSE (voicemail): I have so much I need to say. Please give me a chance to just say it. … Please (crying) please.
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Signaling a major shift in civil rights enforcement, the federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws has moved to dismiss six of its own cases on behalf of workers alleging gender identity discrimination, arguing that the cases now conflict with President Donald Trump's recent executive order, court documents say.