Special counsel Jack Smith's office revealed a series of threats made to potential witnesses in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District judge Aileen Cannon in a filing late Wednesday to allow them to file an exhibit under seal, one day after she had ruled against their request to keep some evidence redacted to protect witnesses and investigations, reported ABC News.
"The exhibit describes in some detail threats that have been made over social media to a prospective Government witness and the surrounding circumstances," the filing states, "and the fact that those threats are the subject of an ongoing federal investigation being handled by a United States Attorney's Office."
"Disclosure of the details and circumstances of the threats risks disrupting the investigation," prosecutors added.
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Cannon had faulted Smith's team in her order Tuesday for failing to identify the information they wished to redact or explain how public disclosures would jeopardize the integrity of the investigation, but prosecutors responded by saying broader redactions were necessary to keep Donald Trump from learning about some potential witnesses or other key details.
Simply redacting names or other portions of the document could still "provide information to the suspect to which he/she may not otherwise be entitled," prosecutors wrote.
The former president has pleaded not guilty to 37 felony counts related to his handling of classified documents, along with longtime aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago staffer Carlos De Oliveira, who have pleaded not guilty for taking part in an effort to obstruct the federal investigation.
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