As Donald Trump gears up to take office this month, two agencies involved in the criminal case that accused the president-elect of mishandling classified documents face turnover in key roles.
Jay Bratt, a lead prosecutor in the documents case, which has since been dismissed, left the Justice Department last week, a spokesperson confirmed Monday.
Bratt, a senior national security official assigned to special counsel Jack Smith’s office, retired Friday after 34 years at the department.
NBC News has reported that Smith and his team planned to resign before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Meanwhile, Trump said Monday that he intends to replace Colleen Shogan as head of the National Archives.
“We will have a new archivist,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt.
In response to a request for comment, the Archives said in a statement Monday night that Shogan “has had a strong working relationship” with Trump and his team.
“We look forward to continuing that relationship with the new administration,” the statement said.
The National Archives alerted the Justice Department in 2022 that Trump had potentially mishandled classified documents after he did not return all of the records it requested, according to the federal indictment. While Trump eventually turned over some of the requested documents, he withheld others.Shogan, the first woman to lead the agency, was not in the top post at the time.
The FBI later searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, and Trump became the first former president charged with federal crimes. He pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.
Presidents are required to turn their records over to the National Archives once they leave office.
A Trump-appointed federal judge dismissed the case in July on the grounds that Smith’s appointment had been unconstitutional. Smith appealed but was forced to wind down the case after Trump’s election to a second term, given the Justice Department’s long-standing policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly promised to investigate perceived opponents and critics. Trump’s choice for FBI director, Kash Patel, has used claims of a “deep state” conspiracy to fuel his rise in Trump’s circle and has pledged to go after judges, lawyers and journalists who have investigated Trump.
The president has the authority to remove the head of the National Archives and choose a replacement, who must be confirmed by the Senate.
