DOJ prosecutors say there's enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction: report

Prosecutors at the Justice Department say there is sufficient evidence to charge Donald Trump with obstruction of justice when it comes to allegations that he mishandled classified documents, although they're not quite sure on how to indict him, Bloomberg reports.

"The team that's part of the classified records probe has not yet made a formal recommendation to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who would ultimately approve or reject such a move, according to people familiar with the matter," Bloomberg's report stated. "It's also unlikely officials would bring only obstruction charges amid several other Trump investigations into potential crimes, the people said."

Some FBI agents are against the idea of charging Trump so close to an election, but others wants charges to move forward, sources close to the matter tell Bloomberg.

IN OTHER NEWS: 'Answer the question!' Herschel Walker faces angry crowd as campaign event goes off the rails

Obstruction is part of the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents -- a charge that the DOJ announced in August that there is probable cause for. But Bloomberg noted that no charges are likely to be filed before the mid-terms.

The unprecedented FBI raid on Trump's Palm Beach, Florida Mar-a-Lago home saw thousands of government records, including the highly classified materials, retrieved.

Before the raid, the FBI uncovered "multiple sources of evidence" showing that "classified documents" remained at Mar-a-Lago, the Justice Department said in a court filing earlier this year.

"The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed... and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government's investigation," the filing added.

"Even with overwhelming evidence, the potential indictment of a former president is unprecedented and would likely set off a firestorm in a nation already divided by political passions and mounting tensions," writes Bloomberg's Chris Strohm. "This decision is the most important task for Garland, 69, the former federal appeals court judge who must now be an arbiter of whether criminal law extends to former presidents. The stakes couldn't be greater for the judicial system, the nation and its citizens."

Trump, who is weighing another White House run in 2024, has accused the Justice Department under Democratic President Joe Biden of conducting a "witch hunt" and said the judge "should never have allowed the break-in of my home."

With additional reporting by AFP