Supporters of former US President Donald Trump demonstrate near his home in Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Getty Images
Former US President Donald Trump said in a statement Monday that FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Based on the reports, The search was part of an investigation into the handling of top-secret presidential documents.
“The Mar-a-Lago area of Palm Beach is currently under siege, where a large group of FBI agents have raided and occupied,” Trump said in the statement, noting that “nothing like this has ever happened to the President of the United States before.” “.”.
The record, according to Eric Trump, the businessman’s third son, focused on a Justice Department investigation into possible mishandling of government secrets, after the former president took several boxes with classified documents to his residence when he left the White House. ..
“The purpose of the raid was, what they said, because the National Archives wanted to verify whether or not Donald Trump had documents in their possession,” the son of the former president told Fox News.
“And my dad worked collaboratively with them for several months. In fact, the attorney who was working on this was quite amazed. He says, ‘I have an amazing relationship with these guys and all of a sudden, they send 20 cars and 30 agents.'”
What do they say from the government?
The National Archives and Records Administration discovered in January of this year that at the end of his term, Trump had taken home at Mar-a-Lago 15 boxes from the White House containing government documents, memorabilia, gifts and letters.
The boxes included material subject to the Presidential Records Act, which requires that all documents and records relating to official business be delivered to the archives.
After Trump returned the boxes to the National Archives, His archivists found documents containing “items marked as classified national security information.”The agency reported to Congress in February.
The House Oversight Committee, which is leading the Congressional investigation into the mishandled documents, issued a statement from its chair, Democratic Representative in New York Carolyn Maloney, asserting that “Presidents have a duty to protect the national security of the United States, and allegations that former President Trump endangered our security.” compromised by the mishandling of confidential information warrants the utmost scrutiny.”
Although the National Archives has recovered White House records at Mar-a-Lago in recent months, multiple sources indicate that the FBI had to verify that nothing was left behind.
The search began early Monday morning, and FBI agents appear to be focusing on the club area where Trump’s offices and personal spaces are located, he told the press. CNN Someone familiar with the matter.
However, several White House officials told the same outlet that the research had not been notified and that President Joe Biden was not aware until it was reported in the news..
On the other hand, police sources said News letters The FBI’s activities on the Trump compound are authorized by the court.
Also, a senior official familiar with the events said that the Secret Service was only notified by the FBI shortly before the agents arrived. The official stated that the Secret Service approved the search warrant and facilitated entry into the residence, according to a court order.
The former president was not present during the raid. He said he was at Trump Tower in New York Politician Someone familiar with the situation. Trump was informed of the raid by his son Eric.
United States, “Banana Republic”
The FBI’s Mar-a-Lago research came as Trump weighs a third potential White House bid. It is a statement, The billionaire denounced the raid as “weaponizing the justice system” and an attempt to prevent him from running for president again in 2024.
These actions were met with swift condemnation from some Republican conservatives, who were quick to back Trump’s message that the Justice Department is being used against him.
They have also criticized the poor performance of the US justice system when it comes to investigating people associated with the current administration, such as Hillary Clinton or Hunter Biden.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a staunch Trump ally, called the search an “unprecedented political abuse of the Department of Justice” on Twitter. “Using the criminal justice system in this way is un-American,” he wrote.
Ron DeSantis, Florida Governor, commented on Networks that the raid “is yet another escalation in the use of weapons by federal agencies against political opponents of the regime, while people like Hunter Biden are treated with baby gloves,” and described the USA as a “banana republic.”
“Hey FBI, is there any interest in Hunter Biden’s laptop? Asked about a friend of mine who was raided today,” Carrie Lake, the Arizona governor’s nominee, commented on Twitter.
Pro-Trump protests
The FBI raid also prompted dozens of Trump supporters to gather outside his private Palm Beach residence to support the former president.
Supporters of former President Donald Trump demonstrate near his Mar-a-Lago home on August 8, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Getty Images
Supporters of former President Trump gather outside Trump Tower in New York on March 8, 2021. Photo: RT/Contributor
(taken from Russia Today)
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