The House Judiciary Committee sought answers from the Biden administration regarding a meeting involving a prosecutor from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team in the West Wing before the indictment of ex-President Donald Trump over purported mishandling of classified national security documents.
A letter from Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was sent to White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting comprehensive records of attorney Jay Bratt’s three known visits to the presidential residence. This information first came to light via a report from The Post the previous Saturday.
Jordan’s letter highlights, “Recent findings suggest Jay Bratt, affiliated with the Department of Justice and a primary assistant to Special Counsel Jack Smith, met White House representatives shortly before Donald Trump’s indictment.”
This revelation fuels speculations regarding potential collaboration between the Department and the White House to target President Biden’s political adversaries.
Jordan’s inquiry encompasses full details of any scheduled or conducted meetings by Mr. Bratt at the White House or the Executive Office. He also seeks information on interactions between the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Justice about Special Counsel Jack Smith’s undertakings.
Additional data reveals a dialogue between Caroline Saba, President Joe Biden’s legal team member, and Jay Bratt, a leading figure associated with Special Counsel Jack Smith. This discourse occurred before Donald Trump’s indictment concerning the classified document incident. Notably, FBI agent Danielle Ray from the Washington field office also attended.
While the exact nature and implications of this meeting remain undisclosed in the records, it has triggered apprehensions about potential political biases or meddling in the DOJ’s proceedings against Trump.
Notably, Caroline Saba vacated her White House role roughly two months after the dialogue to pursue legal studies. Meanwhile, Jay Bratt, a DOJ affiliate since 2015, now leads the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section under the DOJ’s National Security Division.
In June 2022, Bratt inspected Mar-a-Lago’s storage areas and engaged directly with Trump. Sources claim Bratt was a vocal supporter of the FBI’s decision to search Trump’s property.
Given these insights, there’s a pressing need for the Justice Department to clarify the nature and objectives of the Saba-Bratt meeting.
