The recording is an important piece of evidence in the federal case against the former president.
Federal prosecutors unveiled new charges against former president Donald Trump on Thursday evening in his alleged hoarding and hiding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, including one count that centers on a now-infamous conversation that Trump allegedly had at his golf club and summer residence in Bedminster, N.J., in July 2021.
That conversation focused on what has been described as a secret military document concerning Iran.
The had previously obtained an audio recording of the conversation, in which Trump appears to brag about possessing a classified document related to Iran that he acknowledges he did not declassify before leaving office.
The recording, made at a meeting, is an important piece of evidence obtained by special counsel Jack Smith. It appears to undercut Trump’s claims that he had declassified documents later found in his possession before leaving office or didn’t know that he was not allowed to possess restricted documents after leaving the White House.
The recording is referenced in the initial federal indictment against Trump that was issued in June. In a superseding indictment filed June 27, Trump faces additional charges, including a new count of willful retention of national security information that is based on him allegedly showing the document to others during that recorded conversation.
