Lead Prosecutor in Trump’s Classified Documents Case Departures DOJ, According to Spokesperson
Jay Bratt has officially retired from the Justice Department, as confirmed by a spokesperson.
A senior official within the Department of Justice (DOJ) specializing in counterintelligence, who was involved in special counsel Jack Smith’s case regarding classified documents tied to President-elect Donald Trump, has departed from the agency, a spokesperson confirmed on Monday.
According to the DOJ spokesperson, Jay Bratt, who was detailed to special counsel Jack Smith’s office, retired from the department as of January 3. Further details were not provided, and Bratt has not released a public statement regarding his retirement.
Bratt played a significant role in Smith’s case against Trump, which accused the former president of unlawfully retaining sensitive documents after leaving the White House in 2021 and obstructing federal efforts to retrieve them. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
The inquiry led to numerous FBI agents executing a search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in August 2022.
Joining Smith’s team when he took over the investigation in 2023, Bratt was pivotal in securing an indictment against Trump for the alleged offenses. However, in July 2024, all charges were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who determined that Smith had not been properly appointed as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Smith has since filed an appeal against this ruling.
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After Trump’s victory in the November 2024 election, Smith’s team ultimately abandoned their efforts against him, citing DOJ guidelines that discourage prosecuting sitting or former presidents. Concurrently, they also dismissed a separate election-related case against Trump filed in federal court in Washington.
Recently, federal prosecutors indicated they would continue to pursue charges against two of Trump’s former employees, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who are accused of obstructing the investigation. Both individuals have pleaded not guilty.
According to court documents, prosecutors refuted these claims and stated that Bratt mentioned Woodward’s application out of professional respect.
Records from 2024 indicate that Bratt purportedly remarked to Woodward that he did not view him as a “Trump lawyer,” and acknowledged being aware of Woodward’s recommendation to President Biden for a judgeship. Allegedly, Bratt advised Woodward, “I wouldn’t want you to do anything to mess that up,” as outlined in the filings.
During a contentious court session on May 22, 2024, Woodward referenced these allegations against Bratt.
“There was a folder about defense counsel on the table,” Woodward stated during the proceedings in a Florida federal courthouse. “I had been recommended for a judgeship. That’s beyond dispute.”
Federal prosecutor David Harbach attempted to counter Woodward’s assertions during the hearing, claiming the attorney was engaged in “procedural gamesmanship” and that “Woodward’s narrative of what transpired in the meeting [with Bratt] is fanciful.”
At one point, Cannon advised Harbach to “calm down” after he struck his hand on the lectern and vehemently insisted that Woodward’s claims “didn’t happen.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the DOJ for further comments on Monday but had not received a response by publication time.
Contributions to this report were made by Reuters.
