Lawyers for Donald Trump met Thursday with members of special counsel Jack Smith's team as a potential indictment loomed over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, the former president confirmed.
The meeting included Trump lawyer John Lauro, a source familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press.
A spokesman for Smith declined to comment on meeting.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that his lawyers "had a productive meeting with the DOJ this morning, explaining in detail that I did nothing wrong, was advised by many lawyers, and that an Indictment of me would only further destroy our Country.
"No indication of notice was given during the meeting," he added.
Trump said on his social platform earlier this month that he received a letter informing him that he was a target. Such a letter can precede an indictment; Trump got one ahead of being charged last month in a separate investigation into the mishandling of classified documents.
After losing the 2020 presidential election, Trump made a number of false statements about widespread voter fraud as he and his allies sought to challenge and overturn the results of the election, despite current and former members of his own administration stating that those claims were without merit.
Those efforts ultimately culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, when a mob of his supporters marched to the U.S. Capitol and stormed the building in an effort to disrupt the counting and certification of Electoral College votes. More than 1,000 people in nearly all 50 states have been arrested in connection with the riot.
Prosecutors have questioned multiple Trump administration officials before a grand jury in Washington, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who was repeatedly pressured by Trump to ignore his constitutional duty and block the counting in Congress of electoral votes on Jan. 6.
They’ve also interviewed other Trump advisers, including former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as well as local election officials in states including Michigan and New Mexico who endured a pressure campaign from the then-president about overturning election results in their states. A lawyer for Giuliani, who participated in a voluntary interview, said Tuesday that he did not receive a target letter.
Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing and did so again in his Truth Social post, writing, “Under the United States Constitution, I have the right to protest an Election that I am fully convinced was Rigged and Stolen. just as the Democrats have done against me in 2016, and many others have done over the ages.”
Trump, who has attacked Smith repeatedly throughout the course of the documents investigation, called the special counsel "deranged" in his post earlier this month.
"THIS WITCH HUNT IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND A COMPLETE AND TOTAL WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT!" Trump charged. "It is a very sad and dark period for our nation!"
Prosecutors have cast a broad net in their investigation into attempts by Trump and his allies to block the transfer of power to Joe Biden.
Trump is also facing a separate criminal investigation in Georgia, where prosecutors are looking into efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to announce charges in the coming weeks.
Despite the separate criminal cases, Trump is still firmly the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.