A former employee of Donald Trump has told federal agents the former president asked for boxes of records to be moved within his Florida residence after receiving a government subpoena demanding their return, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
The testimony of the key witness, coupled with surveillance footage the Justice Department obtained, represent some of the strongest evidence of possible obstruction of justice by the former Republican president.
The FBI conducted a court-approved search on August 8 at Mr Trump's home at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, seizing more than 11,000 documents including about 100 marked as classified.
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A redacted FBI photograph of classified documents recovered from a container in former president Donald Trump's estate at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Reuters -
The FBI searched Mr Trump's home over what it said were 'likely' efforts to conceal classified files. AFP -
The Mar-a-Lago property was raided by agents on August 8. Reuters -
Pages from a Department of Justice court filing in response to a request from Mr Trump's legal team for a 'special master' to review the documents seized. AP -
Journalists read a heavily redacted court document relating to the FBI search. AP -
The former president condemned the raid as 'the weaponisation of the justice system'. AP -
Pages from a Department of Justice court filing, in response to a request from Mr Trump's legal team. AP -
Mr Trump had faced accusations of deleting private communications during investigations into his alleged role in the storming of the Capitol building on January 6 by his supporters. Reuters -
Mr Trump departs Trump Tower for a deposition two days after the FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago home. Reuters -
Pages of entirely redacted information in the released version of an affidavit from the US Justice Department that was submitted to a judge to support the execution of the FBI search warrant. Reuters -
Mr Trump was also accused of taking a trove of classified documents from the White House, leading to speculation that those missing documents could have been the focus of the raid. Reuters -
Mr Trump set up his Save America political action committee days after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden. EPA -
A Trump supporter outside the Paul S Rogers Federal Building and US Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. AP -
Mr Trump reportedly had more than 300 classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. AP -
US Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks about the FBI's search warrant. Reuters
The employee who was working at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was co-operating with the Justice Department and has been interviewed several times by federal agents, the Post reported.
The witness initially denied handling sensitive documents but in later conversations with agents admitted to moving boxes at Mr Trump’s request.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taylor Budowich, a spokesman for Mr Trump, said the administration of US President Joe Biden had "weaponised law enforcement”.
"Every other president has been given time and deference regarding the administration of documents, as the president has the ultimate authority to categorise records and what materials should be classified," Mr Budowich told the paper.
He accused the Justice Department of leaking "misleading and false information" to the media.
The document investigation is one of several legal woes Mr Trump is facing as he considers whether to run again for president in 2024.
New York state's attorney general recently filed a civil lawsuit accusing Mr Trump and three of his adult children of fraud and misrepresentation in preparing financial statements from the family property company.
The Trump Organisation is also set to go on trial on October 24 on New York state criminal tax fraud charges.
And in Georgia, a grand jury in Fulton County is investigating attempts by Mr Trump to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
