5 Things to Know About FBI Search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home
GoLocalProv News Team
5 Things to Know About FBI Search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home
1) Who Broke the Story
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe first to report the FBI search of former President Donald Trump was Trump himself. He took to social media and issued the following statement:
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.
After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate. It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections.
Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third World Countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe? What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democratic National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.
Eric Trump told Fox News on Monday night that "20 cars and 30 agents" entered the Trump property.
"They broke into a safe — there was nothing in it," said Trump.
"This is not who we are. This is who Venezuela is… This is banana republic antics. Having a home of the 45th President of the United States raided by FBI agents, safes broken open, this is not who we are as a democracy. Imagine if that happened to Barack Obama. The world would be in an uproar," he added.
3) Search Warrant is Unprecedented
Never before in United States history has a search warrant been executed on a former President.
The New York Times reports that this time of search is unusual on any senior government official.
It’s unusual for senior government officials to be charged in connection with mishandling classified information.
There have been some high-profile exceptions, like Gen. David H. Petraeus and President Bill Clinton’s national security adviser, Samuel R. Berger.
But in most instances, when the Justice Department or the F.B.I. learns that classified information is being kept in an unsecure way, it conducts what’s known as a “spill investigation” to determine where the materials are. As part of that investigation, F.B.I. agents determine whether any sensitive national security information has been revealed so the intelligence community can take countermeasures to protect sources and methods.
“I’ve seen enough,” McCarthy tweeted hours after Trump confirmed that his Florida resort was searched by federal officials. Using the same term the former president did in his own statement on the raid — “weaponization” — to describe DOJ’s actions, the California Republican and frontrunner for speaker next year told Attorney General Merrick Garland to “preserve your documents and clear your calendar.”
McCarthy made news in Rhode Island when he came to the state to fundraise and campaign for Republican second congressional district candidate Allan Fung.
5) What Did the FBI Remove?
According to a report in the New York Times, "The search, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation, appeared to be focused on material that Mr. Trump had brought with him to Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence, when he left the White House. Those boxes contained many pages of classified documents, according to a person familiar with their contents."