Investigators examining foes of Trump seek interviews related to Mar-a-Lago search, AP sources say

Justice Department investigators are seeking to interview law enforcement officials linked to the FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The inquiries come as part of a Florida-based investigation aimed at establishing a potential conspiracy against Trump, reported the AP.

Although the initial focus of the investigation has been on the longstanding question of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, it now appears to also encompass the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search, which led to the seizure of classified documents from the former president's Palm Beach, Florida property. The requests for voluntary interviews, made in recent weeks, have not been made through subpoenas, sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

It remains unclear whether any charges will be filed or what they might involve, but conducting the probe in Florida could provide the Justice Department with the legal basis to pursue prosecution in the state. Former prosecutor Joe diGenova, who oversees the investigation, did not comment when reached by the AP, and the Justice Department declined to provide a comment.

In 2023, Trump was indicted on charges of unlawfully retaining classified documents and obstructing FBI efforts to retrieve them, but the case was dismissed the following year after a Trump-appointed judge ruled that the prosecutor appointed to handle the case, Jack Smith, had been illegally appointed.