The unprecedented “inspection” that former US President Donald Trump announced that the FBI had conducted at his residence in Florida became a new topic of polarization in the United States, but it also raised questions about the secret of timing, and the reason for the “decision” of the Ministry of Justice, which was cautious Particularly under the attorney general, Merrick Garland, from taking such a step.
The Associated Press quoted people familiar with the matter that the search was part of a federal investigation into whether Trump took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence.
But the question, according to the agency, is what prompted him to seek permission to search for classified documents now, months after it was revealed that Trump took boxes of materials with him when he left the White House after losing the 2020 election.
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The agency said the order required a federal judge to sign the warrant, after it was confirmed that FBI agents had “probable cause” to search Trump’s home, which was in New York, a thousand miles or so away, at the time of the search.
Monday’s research intensified the months-long investigation into how classified documents in the White House records boxes accessed the property in Florida earlier this year.
A separate grand jury is investigating efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, all of which raise potential legal risks for Trump as he lays the groundwork for a possible repeat run for the White House.
Trump and his allies quickly sought to portray the research as a “weaponization” of the criminal justice system and a Democratic-led effort to prevent it from winning another term in 2024 — though the White House said it had no prior knowledge and that current FBI Director Christopher Wray had been appointed. by Trump five years ago.
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Former Vice President Mike Pence, a potential contender for the presidency in the 2024 election, tweeted Tuesday: “Yesterday’s action undermines the public’s confidence in our system of justice, and Attorney General Garland must and must provide full accountability to the American people as to why and must do so.” Immediately”.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was remarkably quiet about what had happened, declining to respond when asked about it during a stopover in his home state of Kentucky, which is beset by devastating storms. “I’m here today to talk about and recover from the flood,” McConnell said.
Trump was meeting late Tuesday at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with members of the Republican Studies Committee, a group headed by Representative Jim Banks of Indiana that says it is committed to bringing his priorities to Congress.
The FBI contacted the Secret Service shortly before the warrant was executed, a third person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The person said Secret Service agents contacted the Department of Justice and were able to verify the authenticity of the memo before facilitating access to Trump’s residence.
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The Justice Department has been investigating possible mishandling of classified information since the National Archives and Records Administration said it received from Trump 15 boxes of White House records, including documents containing classified information, earlier this year.
The National Archives said Trump should have handed over the materials when he left office, and asked the Justice Department to investigate.
In an interview broadcast on Real America Voice on Tuesday, Trump’s lawyer, Kristina Pope, said investigators said they were “looking for classified information they believe should not have been removed from the White House, as well as presidential records.”
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