Trump team handed over tapes of interviews to special counsel, sources say
(CNN) — Donald Trump’s legal team turned over multiple recordings of the former president’s interviews with members of the media and book authors to federal prosecutors during their investigation, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Special counsel Jack Smith disclosed in a court filing Wednesday that investigators had more tapes of interviews with Trump conducted by non-government entities and recorded with his consent but did not say what the tapes said or how they were obtained.
The new reporting provides more insight into how the special counsel conducted its investigation and what kinds of evidence it has. Prosecutors are required to turn over all of the evidence they have collected to Trump’s defense team, even if it is not going to be used in the case at trial.
The special counsel previously revealed it obtained audio of an interview Trump gave at Bedminster for Mark Meadows’ memoir in which the special counsel says Trump shared classified information with visitors and aides.
Among the materials prosecutors have obtained during the investigation are recordings Trump’s legal team handed over earlier this year, in response to an early 2023 subpoena requesting all information related to General Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.
According to two sources, the additional recordings, some made with authors sympathetic to the former president, include mentions of Milley but do not show Trump discussing any classified material.
Sources familiar with the investigation told CNN the Trump team does not believe the additional recordings are as incriminating as the recording referenced in the indictment unsealed this month. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
That recording, of a meeting at his Bedminster club in July 2021, captures a few-minute segment where the Trump discusses a classified document and suggests he was showing it to others in the room. That recording, first reported by CNN, is described in the 37-count indictment, and prosecutors included quotes from the transcript such as, “This is secret information. Look, look at this … See as president I could have declassified it.”
Prosecutors also obtained multiple recordings from at least one other source, including a version of the Bedminster tape.
During the summer of 2021, sources said multiple people were making recordings of Trump as he held conversations with journalists and biographers.
After the special counsel’s team had secured the Bedminster meeting audio, which is set to play a significant role in the case against Trump, prosecutors specifically demanded any additional audio or video recordings that captured discussions Trump had about certain topics, such as Milley and American military capabilities.
The recordings turned over by Trump were in response to that subpoena.
Trump’s team and the special counsel’s office declined to comment.