According to reports Friday, US Attorney General Merrick Garland will appoint a special counsel to evaluate whether criminal charges should be filed against former President Donald Trump in connection with two ongoing investigations.
The Wall Street Journal broke the news of the expected appointment of the special counsel three days after Trump announced his intention to run for president in 2024.
Trump is currently the subject of several criminal investigations.
According to a senior Justice Department official, the special counsel will determine whether criminal charges are warranted in connection with the handling of classified documents at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and will oversee key aspects of the Justice Department investigation into Mr. Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
A official announcement, likely by Friday afternoon, would come three days after Mr. Trump declared another presidential candidacy.
It would also mark the appointment of the third independent prosecutor in five years to investigate Mr. Trump and related matters.
The action indicates Mr. Garland’s sensitivity in supervising any inquiry of Mr. Trump now that he is a declared presidential contender.
One is concerned with whether Trump violated the law and obstructed justice by removing hundreds of papers from the White House and transporting them to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The other investigation is connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol violence by a Trump supporter mob.
This story is developing…
[READ MORE: New Poll Shows DeSantis Dominating Trump in Florida]
