US officials have offered to brief congressional leaders about their investigation into confidential documents found at former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.
This week there could be a briefing. But it may not meet the demands of lawmakers who want to review documents found not only at Mar-a-Lago, but also at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and his Washington office; and also at the home of former Vice President Mike Pence in Indiana.
Six months after federal agents conducted an unprecedented search of a former president’s home for classified documents, the White House is facing bipartisan pressure to share what it found. Lawmakers say they are concerned about the potential damage to national security and intelligence sources. Separate special councils are investigating the documents found in the possession of Trump and Biden.
Officials declined to answer most questions in public or private about what they found, citing the ongoing criminal investigation and a “risk assessment” of possible harm to intelligence sources.
Rep. Mike Turner, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the administration notified him it would report on the documents this week.
“This administration needs to understand that we have pressing national security issues,” said Turner, a Republican from Ohio. He also asked the White House to brief him on the Chinese balloon shot down on Saturday.
No briefing is expected to include direct access to the seized documents, the people said.
It’s also unclear if the administration will discuss the records found in the possession of Biden and Pence.
The national intelligence office and the Justice Department declined to comment Sunday.
Special counsel Jack Smith is investigating whether to bring charges against Trump or anyone else connected to the documents. Prosecutors have revealed that they are investigating possible violations of multiple criminal statutes, including the willful withholding of national defense information and obstruction. A grand jury in Washington has been hearing evidence and federal prosecutors have interviewed several Trump associates. It is unclear how much longer that investigation will last.
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Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
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