Former President Donald Trump reportedly disregarded advice from his attorneys, who suggested arranging a settlement with the Justice Department to avert federal charges. Instead, he opted to follow the counsel of conservative legal activist and Judicial Watch President, Tom Fitton, along with other attorneys, who advised him to assert his right to keep the classified documents and challenge government prosecutors legally.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, explored the possibility of discreetly approaching the Justice Department last fall to negotiate a settlement. The aim was to dissuade the agency, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, from pursuing charges against the former president.
However, Trump was not receptive to the settlement idea, as he had been influenced by attorneys advocating for a more assertive approach, leading Kise to refrain from presenting the proposal to prosecutors.
In the past, Trump had already returned 15 boxes of classified documents early last year. Despite this, he still retained at least 64 more at his residence, following advice from Tom Fitton and others, who maintained that it was within his legal rights to keep the documents and encouraged him to confront the federal government in the legal arena.