A lead prosecutor in the criminal case accusing Donald Trump of unlawfully retaining classified documents has departed from the U.S. Justice Department, a department spokesperson confirmed Monday.
Jay Bratt, a senior national security official who was part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team, retired from the department on Friday.
Bratt, 65, played a key role in investigating classified documents Trump took to his Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving office in 2021. The investigation led to an FBI search of the property in August 2022, uncovering about 100 classified documents, which sparked outrage from Trump and his supporters.
Bratt joined Smith’s office when the special counsel took over the probe and helped secure an indictment against Trump for allegedly retaining the documents and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them.
Trump, who is set to return to the presidency on January 20, pleaded not guilty and claimed the case, along with other criminal charges against him, was politically motivated.
In July 2024, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the charges against Trump, ruling that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was improper. Prosecutors appealed the decision but later dropped the appeal following Trump’s election victory. However, they signaled plans to revive the case against Trump associates Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, accused of obstructing the investigation.
Bratt’s departure comes as Justice Department officials involved in Trump-related cases, including those concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, consider their futures under the incoming Trump administration.
Trump and his allies have pledged to investigate political opponents and individuals who have accused him of wrongdoing. He has also vowed to pardon some of the over 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and suggested launching investigations into figures like former Representative Liz Cheney.
Bratt’s tenure at the Justice Department spanned decades, most recently overseeing counterintelligence and export control cases. During the investigation, he faced a misconduct complaint from Stanley Woodward, a lawyer for Nauta, who alleged that Bratt improperly raised Woodward’s application for a judgeship during a 2022 meeting. Prosecutors denied any misconduct, stating Bratt mentioned the application as a professional courtesy.
Bratt’s exit highlights the challenges facing the Justice Department as it transitions under a second Trump presidency.
