Former US President Donald Trump said in a lengthy statement on Monday that the FBI was investigating the Mar-a-Lago estate and claimed agents had broken into a safe. A person familiar with the matter said the action was related to an investigation into whether Trump had moved classified files from his time in the White House to his Florida residence. The action, which the FBI and Justice Department did not immediately confirm, marks a dramatic escalation in law enforcement scrutiny of Trump and comes as he lays the groundwork for another presidential bid. Although a search warrant does not indicate that criminal charges are imminent or expected, federal officials who want to obtain one must prove they have probable cause for a crime. “After working and cooperating with the appropriate government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was neither necessary nor appropriate,” Trump said in his statement. He added: “These are dark times for our Nation as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is 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.” Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson declined to comment on the investigation, including whether Attorney General Merrick Garland had personally authorized the investigation. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the search was conducted earlier Monday and agents were also looking into whether Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at the estate. The Justice Department is investigating the presence of classified records inside 15 boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago by the National Archives and Records Administration earlier this year. The Archives then referred the matter to the Department of Justice. Federal law prohibits the removal of classified documents in unauthorized locations, though Trump is likely to try to argue that, as president, he was the ultimate declassification authority. There are several pieces of legislation governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and keep them in an unauthorized location. Another law makes it a crime to mishandle classified records either intentionally or with gross negligence. The investigation is hardly the only legal headache facing Trump. A separate investigation related to efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol has also intensified in Washington. And a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia is investigating whether Trump and his close associates tried to interfere in that state’s election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.


title: “Trump Says Fbi Is Investigating Mar A Lago Property " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-19” author: “Sandra Norwood”


Former US President Donald Trump said in a lengthy statement on Monday that the FBI was investigating the Mar-a-Lago estate and claimed agents had broken into a safe. A person familiar with the matter said the action was related to an investigation into whether Trump had moved classified files from his time in the White House to his Florida residence. The action, which the FBI and Justice Department did not immediately confirm, marks a dramatic escalation in law enforcement scrutiny of Trump and comes as he lays the groundwork for another presidential bid. Although a search warrant does not indicate that criminal charges are imminent or expected, federal officials who want to obtain one must prove they have probable cause for a crime. “After working and cooperating with the appropriate government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was neither necessary nor appropriate,” Trump said in his statement. He added: “These are dark times for our Nation as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is 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.” Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson declined to comment on the investigation, including whether Attorney General Merrick Garland had personally authorized the investigation. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the search was conducted earlier Monday and agents were also looking into whether Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at the estate. The Justice Department is investigating the presence of classified records inside 15 boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago by the National Archives and Records Administration earlier this year. The Archives then referred the matter to the Department of Justice. Federal law prohibits the removal of classified documents in unauthorized locations, though Trump is likely to try to argue that, as president, he was the ultimate declassification authority. There are several pieces of legislation governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and keep them in an unauthorized location. Another law makes it a crime to mishandle classified records either intentionally or with gross negligence. The investigation is hardly the only legal headache facing Trump. A separate investigation related to efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol has also intensified in Washington. And a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia is investigating whether Trump and his close associates tried to interfere in that state’s election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.