Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, testified before a federal grand jury in recent weeks to answer whether the former president had ever privately acknowledged in the days after the 2020 election that he had lost, the New York Times first reported late Thursday.
CNN and ABC News also reported Kushner’s testimony. Furthermore, ABC News reported former Trump aide Hope Hicks also testified, and that Trump’s former communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin met with prosecutors.
According to the Times, which cited four sources briefed on the matter, federal prosecutors working on special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation likely are trying to ascertain whether Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results were knowingly based on a lie, which could bolster a future case against him.
Kushner reportedly told the grand jury that he believed Trump had, in fact, thought the election was stolen.
Others in Trump’s circle have also been called before a grand jury and asked about Trump’s intent, according to the Times.
The report noted that, according to legal experts, establishing Trump’s mindset could give prosecutors a stronger case, and that using a defendant’s own words against him can often sway a jury.
Separately, the Justice Department on Thursday urged a judge to reject Trump’s bid to indefinitely delay his trial in the classified-documents case. Last month, prosecutors proposed a trial starting Dec. 11. Earlier this week, Trump’s lawyers countered with a request for a postponement, and said they were concerned Trump may not get a fair trial before the 2024 presidential election.