The Trump administration is reportedly thinking about wrapping up the case against two employees involved in the classified documents investigation—without handing out presidential pardons. Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who worked for Donald Trump, are the employees in question. Insiders familiar with the situation shared that one possible move is to drop the Justice Department’s appeal to revive the criminal case against them. This would effectively end the prosecution without the need for pardons, which could imply an admission of guilt. The case, which involves classified documents, was dismissed last summer by Judge Aileen Cannon. She ruled that Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional. However, the Biden administration’s Justice Department pushed back, appealing the decision and defending Smith’s authority. Smith halted his case against Trump after the former president was reelected in November. At the time, the prosecution continued against Nauta and De Oliveira, both accused of helping Trump obstruct the federal investigation into the alleged mishandling of documents. Nauta is said to have helped Trump hide boxes of classified materials and lied to investigators about it. De Oliveira allegedly tried to delete security footage from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate that was sought by investigators. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the obstruction charges. As discussions continue, it looks like the case could be closed without pardons, leaving questions about what’s next for these employees and the broader investigation.