(WASHINGTON) — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump met Thursday morning with special counsel Jack Smith’s team as a potential indictment of the former president looms, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Trump attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche met with Smith’s team following the receipt of a target letter alerting Trump he is a target of the special counsel’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump’s lawyers were there to make the case for why they believed Trump shouldn’t be indicted. Special counsel Jack Smith was present for the meeting, sources said.
The meeting ended after an hour, sources told ABC News.
The target letter, sent on July 16, mentions three federal statutes: conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under a civil rights statute, and tampering with a witness, victim or an informant, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Trump confirmed the letter in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Smith was appointed in November by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has dismissed the probes as a political witch hunt.
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