The New York Times reported that Donald Trump was subpoenaed by a grand jury before the FBI searched his house.
Two people who were briefed on the documents, some of which were classified, told The Times that investigators believed some of the material was so sensitive and critical to national security that they had to send FBI agents to retrieve them from Mar-a-Lago.
The process of obtaining the search warrant was approved at the highest levels of the Justice Department, according to legal experts.
Christina Bobb, Trump's lawyer, told news outlets that investigators took around a dozen boxes from the basement storage area.
Trump made the announcement on Monday. He accused the Justice Department and the FBI of political persecution and of breaking into his safe.
ABC News reported that the search warrant was related to 15 boxes of documents that Trump had taken to Mar-a-Lago. The agency asked the Justice Department to investigate if Trump broke the law when he moved the documents after returning them to the archives.
Bobb told The Washington Post that the search warrant indicated that investigators were looking into whether there were any violations of the law.
In an interview with Insider this week, a former federal prosecutor said he would be shocked if the affidavit supporting the warrant did not include probable cause that Trump violated other laws.
He said that you only get one chance to find Donald Trump's home. The Department of Justice won't blow their money if they just look at the records statute.
The subpoena was revealed on John Solomon's website late Wednesday.
According to a half dozen people familiar with the incident, Trump turned over responsive evidence, surrendered security footage and allowed federal agents and a senior Justice Department lawyer to tour his private storage locker after he was subpoenaed.
Following Monday's raid, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal reported that a confidential source told authorities that classified government documents may have been mishandled.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, told CNN on Thursday that Trump probably feels trapped and that whoever tipped off the feds has more dirt on him.
The story is not staying the same. Don't forget to check back for the latest news.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
