Prosecutor in Trump classified files case takes 5th Amendment in private interview with Congress

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON AP A key prosecutor on the classified documents situation against President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a congressional interview Wednesday declining to answer questions because of concern about the Trump administration s willingness to weaponize the machinery of establishment against perceived adversaries a spokesman disclosed Jay Bratt had been subpoenaed to appear before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee for a closed-door interview but did not answer substantive questions because of his Fifth Amendment constitutional right to remain silent Bratt spent more than three decades at the Justice Department before retiring in January just weeks before President Donald Trump took office He was a key national defense prosecutor on special counsel Jack Smith s crew which in charged Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and with obstructing the governing body s efforts to recover them He did not choose to investigate Mar-a-Lago rather the facts and evidence of a serious breach of law and national safety led him there disclosed Peter Carr a spokesman for Justice Connection a setup of Justice Department alumni Related Articles Gift or Grift Prospect of plane from Qatar hits political turbulence Trump surgeon general pick praised unproven psychedelic therapy revealed mushrooms helped her find love Wisconsin judge argues prosecutors can t charge her with helping a man evade immigration agents Maryland loses triple-A bond rating from Moody s rating agency Hotline between military and air traffic controllers in Washington hasn t worked for over years This administration and its proxies have made no effort to hide their willingness to weaponize the machinery of cabinet against those they perceive as political enemies Carr added That should alarm every American who believes in the rule of law In light of these undeniable and deeply troubling circumstances Mr Bratt had no choice but to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights The declaration describes Bratt as someone who spent his career in residents system protecting our nation from particular of the gravest national measure threats including spies murderers and other criminal actors invariably without fear or favor A federal judge in Florida dismissed the prosecution last year after concluding that Smith had been illegally appointed to the special counsel role The Justice Department s appeal of that decision was pending at the time of Trump s presidential win in November at which point Smith s company abandoned that event and a separate prosecution charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the ballot Since taking office Trump has engaged in a far-reaching retribution campaign against executives he regards as adversaries His administration has issued executive orders aimed at punishing major law firms including chosen with current or past associations with prosecutors who previously investigated him The Justice Department meanwhile has fired lawyers who served on Smith s squad and also established a weaponization working group aimed at reviewing actions taken during the Biden administration That group is led by Ed Martin whose nomination to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington was pulled by the White House last week