At least two dozen people at former president Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, club Mar-a-Lago have been subpoenaed in the investigation of his possession of classified documents at the property.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Department of Justice’s Trump-related cases, reportedly issued subpoenas to a woodworker, a plumber, a chauffeur and a maid, among at least 24 Mar-a-Lago workers who may be called to testify against Trump and his two co-defendants at the criminal trial in Florida. 

When the former president learned of the subpoenas, he was reportedly furious that special counsel was reaching into his inner circle.

The witnesses in the investigation may include individuals from Trump’s close circle throughout his business and political career, such as Secret Service agents and former intelligence officials, as well as individuals who were present in the room with Trump when he was recorded in conversation about a military document about war plans with Iran.

The Presidential Records Act explicitly states that any White House records that pertain to governmental affairs are public property and must be handed over to the National Archives once the president and vice president conclude their term.

Since Trump departed from office, approximately 300 classified documents have been recovered from his Mar-a-Lago residence.

In August 2022, an FBI search of the property led to the discovery of around 100 of these documents. This search had been prompted by concerns that the former president had not fully complied with a previous subpoena that required he surrender all classified materials.

The trial is scheduled to commence in Florida in May, far in advance of the 2024 presidential election.

On Friday, federal judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the trial date will remain in place for now, though she left open the possibility that it could shift in the future.

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