DAccording to former US President Donald Trump, the Federal Police FBI searched his property in Mar-a-Lago in the US state of Florida. “My beautiful home…is currently under siege, search and occupation by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump wrote Monday night (local time) on Truth Social, a network he co-founded. “This unannounced raid on my home was neither necessary nor appropriate,” Trump continued. His safe was also opened. According to media reports, the process is related to Trump’s handling of files and documents from his time in the White House. Searching the property of a former president is highly unusual.
Trump called the process “political persecution”. It was initially unclear why the property was searched. Media reported that the FBI had completed the search on Monday evening (local time). A CNN reporter said Trump was not at home during the action.
The ex-president was recently heavily incriminated by witnesses at the public hearings of the investigative committee on the Capitol attack. Accordingly, Trump knew that the demonstrators were armed on January 6, 2021 and deliberately sent them to the Capitol. Recently, there had been growing evidence that the Justice Department was investigating Trump’s behavior more closely. The question is whether Attorney General Merrick Garland could take criminal action against Trump.
Allegedly destroyed documents
Now, apparently, there was a lot of trouble because Trump is said to have taken documents to Mar-a-Lago that allegedly contained classified information on national security. In addition, in the USA, as a rule, all correspondence from the President is archived and kept for posterity. This is required by law. The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the investigation was related to the documents.
US President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate can be seen in an archive photograph.
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Image: J. David Ake/AP/dpa
Trump, however, is said to have brought 15 boxes full of government documents, memorabilia, gifts and letters from the White House to his home in Florida after his term in office. According to the media, these included letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a letter from Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama.
Trump finally handed over several documents to the National Administration for Archives and Records and confirmed this himself at the time. However, the judiciary is said to have launched an investigation. A search of an ex-president’s property requires authorization from the highest level of the Justice Department. Justice Department officials declined to comment on the search warrant, the New York Times wrote.
Meanwhile, the American news site Axios published images purporting to show Trump’s documents being thrown into the White House toilet. According to the portal, the images of the “New York Times” journalist Maggie Haberman are said to have been leaked recently. Documents thrown into toilet bowls can be seen there. The handwriting on these pieces of paper is said to resemble Trump’s. Haberman’s book, Confidence Man, is published in October, in which she reports that the White House toilets have repeatedly been clogged with scraps of paper. Trump described this as “completely untrue” in February after it became known.
Numerous Republicans reacted to the search with incomprehension and anger. For example, Kevin McCarthy, opposition leader in the House of Representatives, accused the Justice Department of having reached an “intolerable level of politicization”. McCarthy also hinted at a parliamentary inquiry. In the direction of the Attorney General, he said: “Have your documents ready and clear your calendars!” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also complained on Twitter about an “escalation in the arming of federal agencies against opponents of the regime”. “Arming,” a term also used by McCarthy, refers to the alleged use of government resources for partisan purposes. DeSantis ended his tweet with one word: “Banana Republic.”