Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, receives pardon from Trump 1:19
(CNN) -
The Justice Department is investigating a possible crime related to funneling money to the White House or a related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records released Tuesday in federal court.
The case is the most recent legal twist in the last days of President Donald Trump's administration after several of his top advisers were convicted on federal criminal charges and as the possibility of Trump granting pardons to those who have been loyal to him increases.
The disclosure is in 20 pages of partially edited documents that the Washington City District Court released Tuesday afternoon.
The records show Chief Judge Beryl Howell's review in August of a request by prosecutors for access to documents obtained in a search as part of a bribery-for-clemency investigation.
'No government official' is the subject of the investigation
The documents do not reveal a timeline for the alleged plan, nor the names of the people potentially involved.
Yes, communications between individuals, including at least one attorney, were seized from an office that was raided sometime before the end of this summer.
To date, no one appears to have been publicly charged with a related crime.
The White House declined to comment on the court documents.
CNN has previously reported that some of the president's aides appeal to him in hopes of obtaining pardons before he leaves office.
There is no indication that the Justice Department is investigating any of these collaborators in connection with Tuesday's documents.
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A Justice Department official told CNN that "no government official was or is currently the subject or target of the investigation disclosed in this file."
According to court records, at the end of this summer, leaked equipment, used to ensure prosecutors did not receive tainted evidence that should have been hidden from them because it was privileged, had more than 50 digital devices after the Investigators raided the unidentified offices.
This included iPhones, iPads, laptops, USB sticks, and computer drives.
Details of prosecutors' search for alleged bribery plan in exchange for clemency
Prosecutors told the court they wanted permission to access the leaked equipment's possessions.
Prosecutors believed the devices revealed emails showing alleged criminal activity.
This would include a "secret lobbying plan."
And also a bribery conspiracy that offered "a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or a suspended sentence" for a convicted defendant whose name is withheld, according to published documents.
Communications between attorneys and clients are often privileged and out of reach for prosecutors as they build their cases.
However, in this situation Howell allowed prosecutors access.
Communications between attorney and client are not protected as privileged by law when discussing a crime, among other exceptions.
"The political strategy for obtaining a presidential pardon was' parallel 'and distinct from [hidden]' s role as defense attorney for [name withheld]," Howell wrote in his court order.
The investigative jury's investigation also appears to be linked to individuals whose names are not mentioned acting as "lobbyists for high-ranking White House officials" as they sought to obtain a pardon and use an intermediary to send a bribe, court records say without seal.
However, prosecutors had not presented evidence to the judge of any direct payment.
Instead, they showed evidence that a person was seeking clemency due to past and future political contributions.
Investigators indicated in court that they intended to "confront" three individuals with the communications and complete their investigation.
Last week, the Justice Department told Howell that it wanted to keep files related to the court case confidential.
This, because "the individuals and the conduct" had not yet been charged.
Other Trump pardons and sentencing commutations
Trump granted 29 pardons and commuted the sentences of 16 people during his presidency, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Pardons.
Several of these decisions have fallen to people close to the president or whose names would cause a sensation.
This includes 19th-century suffragette Susan B. Anthony, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Bush-era adviser Scooter Libby, and former Republican political adviser Roger Stone, who lied to Congress to protect Trump's efforts in 2016. .
Just last week, Trump pardoned his former National Security adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI, for undisclosed lobbying by Turkey and for possible related crimes that Flynn may have faced in the future.
CNN's Evan Perez and Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.
United States pardons
