The Justice Department is investigating mishandling of classified information after the National Archives and Records Administration revealed it had recovered 15 boxes of White House records from the former president's home. The documents and memorabilia also included correspondence from former President Barack Obama.
The search of the property of former US President Donald Trump in Florida that the FBI carried out on Monday night was part of an investigation to determine if he took classified documents from the White House at the end of his government (2017-2021), in moments in which he faces two other legal cases and aspires to fight for a second term in 2024, local media reported.
"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," Trump said in a released statement. on his Truth social network while the procedure was taking place.
In a long speech, the far-right tycoon revealed that the agents had opened a safe in his house and described his work as an "unannounced raid" while criticizing the "misconduct of the prosecution."
"This unannounced raid on my home was neither necessary nor appropriate."
Trump and his allies are trying to portray the investigation as an armed, Democratic-driven cause ahead of the upcoming presidential election, even though current FBI Director Christopher Wray was appointed by him five years ago and served as a high-ranking official. in a Republican-led Justice Department.
“Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before. After working and cooperating with relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was neither necessary nor appropriate," Trump added.
Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson declined to comment on the search.
The investigation
The Justice Department has been investigating the mishandling of classified information for several months, after the National Archives and Records Administration revealed it had recovered 15 boxes of White House records from Mar a Lago earlier this year.
The documents and memorabilia - which also included correspondence from former President Barack Obama - should have been turned over by law at the end of Trump's presidency, but instead ended up at his Mar a Lago compound.
In the United States, there are several laws that govern the handling of classified records and sensitive government documents.
Two sources close to the matter revealed that the break-in was early Monday and was related to the investigation of classified records and sensitive government documents, CNN reported.
In 2016, Trump himself tried to exploit an FBI investigation against his rival in the elections, Hillary Clinton, for her mishandling of classified information.
The irony in this case is that in 2016 Trump himself tried to exploit an FBI investigation against his rival in the elections, Hillary Clinton, for her mishandling of classified information when she was Secretary of State for Barack Obama.
The FBI concluded that Clinton did not intend to break the law.
This investigation against Trump is added to another that tries to determine if the billionaire and his allies are responsible for the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when a mob of his followers instigated by himself broke in to prevent the results from being validated. the November 2020 elections.
In addition, a prosecutor in Fulton, Georgia, is investigating whether Trump and his allies tried to interfere in the election in that state, which ultimately gave Democrat Joe Biden a narrow victory.
Failed
The District Court for the District of Columbia issued this Tuesday a ruling contrary to the former president's intentions: it enabled the House Ways and Means Commission to receive information from the tycoon's tax returns as part of the investigation of the congressional panel on its finances.
The committee requested information on several years of Trump's personal and business tax returns to better understand the Presidential Audit Program administered by the Internal Revenue Service, the Sputnik news agency reported.
The former president unsuccessfully challenged the publication of the statements by the Treasury Department, arguing that it violates the First Amendment of the Constitution and the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
The request also did not violate the principles of separation of powers because the burden on the Executive Branch and the parties to the case is relatively minor, the District Court added.
The committee said in a statement after the ruling that it expects to immediately receive the requested tax returns and related audit files.
