The FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago was reportedly part of an investigation into former President Donald Trump removing classified documents from the White House and storing them in his south Florida resort.
What are the details?
FBI agents began the raid early Monday morning around 9 a.m. and searched the property until 6:30 p.m., according to News Nation reporter Brian Entin, who cited his sources.
The agents arrived in plain clothes — thus appearing to be Secret Service agents — and only notified the Secret Service about the raid right before it began. “That is why it didn’t leak earlier,” Entin explained.
Three of Trump’s lawyers arrived at Mar-a-Lago after the raid began, and the FBI agents did, as Trump claimed, open a safe in his office.
The purpose of the raid was to retrieve classified documents that Trump allegedly removed from the White House, the New York Times confirmed.
From the Times:
Mr. Trump delayed returning 15 boxes of material requested by officials with the National Archives for many months, only doing so when there became a threat of action to retrieve them. The case was referred to the Justice Department by the archives early this year.
Eric Trump confirmed about 30 FBI agents raided Mar-a-Lago, that nothing was found in Trump’s safe, and the purpose of the raid was to retrieve documents.
The raid does not confirm that Trump has committed a crime. It does, however, signal that investigators convinced a federal judge they had sufficient probable cause that a crime had been committed and that raiding Mar-a-Lago was necessary to retrieve evidence.
Legal experts believe the raid must have been approved by the most senior levels of the Justice Department, perhaps even by Attorney General Merrick Garland, because Trump is a former president and raiding his residence would require approval at the highest levels of government.
Anything else?
The White House allegedly did not know about the raid beforehand.
But Republicans say the raid is more evidence the Justice Department has become politicized under President Joe Biden.
After the raid, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy promised an investigation into the DOJ should Republicans retake control of the House after the 2022 midterm elections.
“I’ve seen enough,” McCarthy said in a statement. “The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization. When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned.”
“Attorney General Garland, preserve your documents and clear your calendar,” he added.