A new chief judge in the federal courthouse in Washington, DC, is poised to take over as that position has become one of the most influential in the nation's capital, playing a key role in deciding issues that could factor into whether former President Donald Trump is indicted.

The Justice Department wants to know how a box containing a handful of classified records scattered among copies of presidential schedules turned up at Mar-a-Lago late last year, well after several rounds of searches of the property by federal agents and aides to former President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.