Trump Team Could Face Jail Time For Using Auto-Delete Messaging Apps
The Trump-Russia investigation has entered a new and legally dangerous phase for the Trump team. While it is true that special counsel Robert Mueller has only just started his part of the investigation, but with confirmation of grand juries and subpoenas flying the Donald Trump’s aides are in a particularly vulnerable position.
According to a new report by Politico, now that the existence of the investigation has become public, Trump associates in the White House, from the transition and even the campaign are “responsible for preserving all available information that might be relevant.”
But that requirement to preserve any relevant communications could be complicated by the fact that many members of the Trump team have been using smartphone apps that auto-delete messages.
As Politico puts it, “Hanging over them all: any failure to keep track of emails, messages and other records could expose them to criminal charges down the line.”
The Trump White House has been on notice of the need to preserve documents since at least mid-February when Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee demanded that they preserve all Russia-related documents for their investigation.
And in March, White House Counsel Don McGahn instructed White House staff “to save all materials that could potentially be relevant for investigations into Russia’s interference” the Associated Press reported.
The Politico report follows Friday’s bombshell report by the Washington Post that revealed the Senate Intelligence Committee has demanded Trump hand over all campaign documents and communications to the committee.
You can read the full Politico report here.
