Former President Donald Trump said in a lengthy statement Monday that the FBI was conducting a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and asserted that agents had broken open a safe. A person familiar with the matter said the action was related to a probe of whether Trump had taken classified records from his White House tenure to his Florida residence.
The action, which the FBI and Justice Department did not immediately confirm, marks a dramatic escalation in law enforcement scrutiny of Trump and comes as he has been laying the groundwork to make another bid for president. Though a search warrant does not suggest that criminal charges are near or even expected, federal officials looking to obtain one must demonstrate that they have probable cause that a crime occurred.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Trump said in his statement.
He added: “These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”
Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson declined to comment on the search, including about whether Attorney General Merrick Garland had personally authorized the search.
In practical terms, this would allow the FBI entry to Mar-a-Lago without breaking doors or locks at the residence and property. The former president is not in residence there during summer months. https://t.co/7dCM8cKfOz
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) August 9, 2022
A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the search happened earlier Monday and agents were also looking to see if Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at the estate.
The Justice Department has been investigating the presence of classified records inside 15 boxes that were retrieved from Mar-a-Lago by the National Archives and Records Administration earlier this year. The Archives then referred the matter to the Justice Department.
Federal law bars the removal of classified documents to unauthorized locations, though it is possible that Trump could try to argue that, as president, he was the ultimate declassification authority.
There are multiple statutes governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and retain them at an unauthorized location. Another statute makes it a crime to mishandle classified records either intentionally or in a grossly negligent manner.
Using government power to persecute political opponents is something we have seen many times from 3rd world Marxist dictatorships
But never before in America
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 9, 2022
The probe is hardly the only legal headache confronting Trump. A separate investigation related to efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol has also been intensifying in Washington.
And a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia is investigation whether Trump and his close associates sought to interfere in that state’s election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.
(YWN/AP)
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20 Responses
Stasi 2.0
These people cannot get past the fact that this unconventional outside the beltway conservative was ever POTUS and that he actually has a chance to be POTUS again in spite of all of their persecutions and public humiliation of him.
The FBI is the armed arm of the Democratic Party.
Four years of a booming economy and no war despite being impeached TWICE.
They hate him like poison not because he was a poor president, but because of his attitude and big mouth. And they want to bury him alive.
We live in an upside-down world.
It will be a fundraising boon for him. The press release came from his PAC.
This event officially kicks off the 2024 presidential campaign, with a preemptive strike against the presumptive nominee.
The DOJ must have information that a crime was committed and that an FBI search of the property was necessary to gather evidence that would not be willingly turned over by the subject of the investigation. Solid evidence of a crime must be presented to a judge in order for a judicial approval for the search. In the case of a former President the standard of evidence must be extremally high for the DOJ to even ask for a warrant. .
My assumption is that the search was related to the 15 boxes of classified documents that Trump unlawfully removed from the White House, not to the DOJ investigation into January 6th or the Georgia grand jury investigation into the attempt to alter the vote in 2020.
If there is no evidence of a crime, Trump has no worries at alll.
Christopher Wray, the current FBI director was appointed by Donald J. Trump.
Democracy is dead.
Oh and it wasn’t a ‘raid’ . The feds were executing a search warrant. It’s likely they had to coordinate efforts with any secret service there or private security. Goodness why the hyperbole?
Anyone here is foolish enough to think this raid is legit, hasn’t the slightest idea on what the word corruption means.
Anyone here old enough to remember what the Clintons did when they left the whitehouse? Or what some of their folks came back to REMOVE/Steal certain documents that may incriminate them?
Do you remember anyone being prosecuted let alone have their homes raided? NO!
Because it didn’t happen
Honestly, even if Trump becomes President and the republicans have the house and senate I don’t know how they fix it, short of doing the impossible and demolishing the FBI, DOJ IRS state department….
No truth whatsoever to the report from the Fake News that a Roto Rooter truck seen parked outside Mar a Lago at the time of the FBI raid was connected in any way to the search. It was there to fix a blocked sewage line in the men’s locker room.
Y2R: Could you provide some names/dates etc. so that one might do a search for links to the former Clinton staffers that came back to the WH after Bush moved in to “remove/steal” incriminating documents. I’ve done a brief search but cannot find any contemporaneous news stories about such document thefts after the inauguration? The two cases of improper document removals (not under the fact pattern here) involved John Deutch and Sandy Berger and both were charged and pleaded guilty.
I hate Americans’ , actually all of them have a hand in this ballagan except my frum jews……I only trust that Hashem puts Biden and all the Democrats in their proper places….
The FBI sucks, and now I am even more definitely voting for President Donald Trump שליט”א come 11/5/2024, and I so absolutely hope President Donald Trump שליט”א goes after hunter biden as well as after hillary’s 33,000 bleached emails.
Wow! Christopher! What a genius move! Thank you @yaakov_doe for reminding us that Reb Christopher was appointed by the great DJT himself! Of course, he now is returning the favor… nothing could provide a bigger boost to DJT’s reelection campaign than this: the imminent threat of KGB-like tactics.
I’m mamesh nispa’el from Reb Christopher’s courage and wisdom!
And DJT is laughing all the way to the White House.
The FBI never showed up at my house with a warrant. I don’t know anyone whoever had them show up at their home or business. I doubt anyone here knows anyone either. Unless there is very serious evidence and probable cause, a judge would not sign off on a warrant.
Taking boxes of documents, some classified, is illegal. (Remember someone named Hillary who was vilified?)
“I hate Americans..”
Sara Rifkah: So glad to hear of your warm feelings for the residents of our country. Your sincere wishes for the Ebeshter to put Biden and the Dems in “their proper place” have also come true since he is in the Oval Office while Trump wakes up every AM not knowing if he will be soon be sharing taxpayer funding housing with some guy name Spike and the Dems will control the justice department and bureau of prisons for the next 2+ years.
We feel your pain……
Move to Eretz Yisroel already you lousy American Yidden; what are you waiting for?
this country is already in the dump and it’s not coming out. the USA is lost. corruption and sheker are everywhere.
come to E”Y and help make it a Torah society of tznius & chesed אומעטום