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A novelty in US history: The federal police are searching the property of an ex-president. The current state of knowledge.
What happened in Mar-a-Lago? In a process unprecedented in US history, the FBI has investigated former President Donald Trump’s luxury home. “My beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., is currently under siege, search and occupation by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump wrote on Monday evening (local time) on Truth Social, a network he co-founded. . The search began early Monday morning. There has never been a raid on the home of a former US President.
What was the FBI looking for? According to media reports, the process is related to Trump’s handling of files and documents from his time in the White House. There is no official confirmation for this. Trump was accused of withholding files and documents from his time in the White House. The New York Times even reported that Trump flushed documents down the toilet during his presidency. Trump rejected that. On Monday, photos finally appeared to prove this.
There was anger mainly because Trump is said to have brought 15 boxes full of government documents, memorabilia, gifts and letters from the White House to his home in Florida. Among them are said to be documents that are believed to contain classified information on national security. According to the media, these included letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a letter from Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama. In the United States, by law, all Presidential correspondence must be archived.
What is the legal situation? The ex-president finally handed over several documents to the National Administration for Archives and Records. However, the judiciary is said to have initiated an investigation. A search of a former President’s property requires approval at the highest level of the Justice Department.
Justice Department officials declined to comment on any aspect of the search warrant, the New York Times reports. The hurdles for a house search of an ex-president are high, explains SRF correspondent Barbara Colpi. “Several judges have to give the green light for the house search based on the evidence.” The raid must have been planned well in advance.
How does Trump react? The 76-year-old was in New York during the proceedings, Fox News Digital reported. Since leaving the White House in January 2021, Trump has lived mostly in Mar-a-Lago. However, he usually spends the summers at his golf club in Bedminster, about 70 kilometers from New York. The ex-president did not go into the reasons for the raid, but made it public himself.
Mar-a-Lago is “besieged, searched and occupied by a large group of FBI agents”. In view of the cooperation with “the relevant government authorities”, “this unannounced raid on my house is neither necessary nor appropriate”. “Even” his safe was opened. Trump called the process “political persecution” and an attack by the “radical left Democrats”. In the evening, several dozen Trump supporters gathered near Mar-a-Lago in solidarity.