Three people with knowledge of the situation told CNN that the FBI carried out a search warrant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents, including classified documents, that may have been brought there.
The former president stated that "they even broke into my safe" and acknowledged that FBI agents were present at Mar-a-Lago. According to a person familiar with the situation, he was in Trump Tower in New York when the search warrant was carried out in Florida.
In a statement released late on Monday, Trump claimed that his "beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, being invaded, and occupied by a big group of FBI agents."
The remarkable decision by the Justice Department to conduct a search of a former president's residence elevates the stakes for the agency and comes as Trump's legal issues persist on numerous fronts. Trump is also anticipated to declare in the upcoming months that he will run for president again in 2024.There are two known ongoing investigations by the Justice Department concerning the former President: one focuses on the attempt to rig the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, and the other is about the handling of confidential data.
According to a person familiar with the situation, the search got underway early on Monday and it looked that law enforcement officers were concentrating on the portion of the club that houses Trump's offices and personal rooms.Another individual familiar with the inquiry said that boxes of goods were taken during the FBI search, which also included looking through the places where documents were stored. Following the recent recovery of White House records from Mar-a-Lago by the National Archives, the FBI was required to make sure that nothing was left behind on Monday.
Trump's lawyer Christina Bobb claimed that the FBI had taken documents. "Every step of the way, President Trump and his legal team have cooperated with FBI and DOJ investigators. In fact, the FBI conducted an unauthorized raid and seized documents "Bobb said.
The FBI and Justice Department's highest echelons would have reviewed the plans for the search at Mar-a-Lago.
The FBI has been contacted by CNN for comment. To CNN, the Justice Department refused to comment. Officials from the White House said that they were not informed of the search.examination of the documents
At least 15 boxes of White House records, some of which were classified, were retrieved from Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, according to the National Archives, which is in charge of gathering and categorizing presidential material.
CNN have confirmation from three sources with knowledge of the investigation that investigators visited Mar-a-Lago recently to speak with Trump's lawyers about evidence gathered during his term as president. The sources claim that Trump was present at Mar-a-Lago during the visit.
Unknown which and how many records were handed to investigators at the time by Trump's lawyers, according to one of the sources.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the FBI interviewed Trump's Mar-a-Lago staff members in April and May as part of the investigation into the management of presidential records.According to the individual familiar with the inquiry, the FBI had to make sure nothing was left behind on Monday.
"Removing classified documents improperly is a criminal offense. Consequently, if you have to disclose the offense on the affidavit, you can do so by listing it "said CNN senior legal analyst and former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig.
Honig said that the timing of the search complied with the long-standing department policy not to carry out politically sensitive actions within 90 days of an election on CNN's "OutFront" with Erin Burnett.
"The midterm exams are exactly 90 days from today; 91 or 92 days, I believe. If they're viewing that policy as a 90-day rule, then that may be why they took action today; they want to avoid that "he stated.
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