Jack Smith just had the ‘we’re indicting your client’ meeting with Donald Trump’s lawyers

When it was first reported yesterday that Jack Smith’s team would be meeting with Donald Trump’s criminal defense attorneys this week, I pointed out that this leak had to be coming from Trump’s side, and that we should therefore be wary of it. I also pointed out that if such a meeting really were happening, it would have to be the ‘we are indicting your client‘ meeting. Sure enough, Jack Smith’s team really did meet with Trump’s attorneys today.

Various news outlets have reported that the meeting lasted a couple hours, and that Trump’s attorneys spent the meeting raising concerns about how Smith had the courts strike down attorney client privilege in the case. In other words, this was definitely a ‘we’re indicting your client‘ meeting.

Prosecutors hold this kind of preindictment meeting for two reasons. One is fairness, to give defense attorneys the opportunity to raise legitimate concerns about why the case shouldn’t be brought. But the real reason this meeting happens is so prosecutors can find out the defense team’s trial strategy in advance. And sure enough, trumps lawyers revealed what they intend to harp on at trial, meaning, the DOJ gets a headstart on picking it apart.

As expected, major news outlets are reporting that Attorney General Merrick Garland was not present for this meeting. Of course he wasn’t. He already publicly denied Trump’s attorney’s request for a meeting a week or two ago, saying that this is Jack Smith’s case.

So now we know we are just days away from Jack Smith and the DOJ criminal indicting Donald Trump in the classified documents probe. And it will be days. At this point, there is nothing left for the grand jury to do but bring the indictment, which can typically be done in a day or two of grand jury time. So yeah, get your popcorn ready.