Washington
CNN
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The contempt proceedings against former President Donald Trump ended after nearly 90 minutes behind closed doors on Friday afternoon at a Washington, DC courthouse.
CNN observed prosecutors including Justice Department counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt and Trump attorneys exiting the courthouse just before 3:30 p.m. ET. The two legal teams had gathered in the chambers area for Chief Justice Beryl Howell, who was to consider whether to despise Trump for failing to comply with a subpoena ordering him to turn over classified records, reports say. from CNN.
No results have been announced.
A coalition of media organizations that included CNN had asked Howell to allow public access to Friday’s hearing, but the judge did not grant the request.
Lisa Klem, the court’s spokeswoman, acknowledged the sealed hearing Friday in a statement, but provided no further information about what happened.
“This afternoon, the Court held a hearing regarding an ongoing and sealed grand jury case. This case remains sealed, pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) and Local Criminal Rule 6.1,” says the press release.
The DOJ seeks to despise Trump and his office for failing to fully comply with the subpoena following the search of his Mar-a-Lago compound in August. If disrespected, Trump could rack up fines. Being held in defiance of subpoenas for documents has become a feature of the former president’s legal wrangles since leaving office.
The proceedings increase pressure on Trump as he faces possible criminal liability in the investigation of the Mar-a-Lago documents led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. It also adds another chapter to the ongoing fight by federal officials to recover government records — especially those containing national security secrets — from Trump after his administration ends.
After the DOJ subpoenaed Trump for documents with classified marks in his possession in May, prosecutors went to court to enforce the grand jury subpoena. The judge ordered Trump’s team to comply. That prompted a search by Trump’s lawyers last month that produced two other documents with classification marks.
But the Justice Department is still unhappy with the search and Trump’s side not saying all the documents have been turned over, CNN previously reported.
This story was updated with additional details on Friday.
