In messages posted on the Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Not only will I not object to the release of documents … I am going one step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of these documents.” He went on to criticize the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation as “un-American, unwarranted and unnecessary.” “Release the documents now!” He wrote.
Read more: US seeks to unseal warrant used to search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, AG says
The Justice Department’s request earlier Thursday is striking because such documents traditionally remain sealed during a pending investigation. But the department appeared to acknowledge that its silence after the investigation has created a vacuum for bitter verbal attacks from Trump and his allies, and that the public is entitled to side with the FBI over what led to Monday’s action at the home of the former president. Story continues below ad “The clear and strong public interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favor of unsealing,” said a motion filed in federal court in Florida on Thursday. If the warrant is made public — the request is now with a judge — it could reveal unflattering information about the former president and the FBI’s scrutiny of his handling of sensitive government documents as he prepares for another run for the White House. During his successful 2016 campaign, he frequently pointed to an FBI investigation into his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, over her mishandling of classified information.
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It is unclear at this point how much information would be contained in the documents, if released, or whether they would include an FBI affidavit that would presumably give a detailed factual basis for the investigation. The department specifically requested the unsealing of the warrant as well as proof of ownership of the items seized, along with two unspecified attachments. To obtain a search warrant, federal authorities must prove to a judge that there is probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. Garland said he personally approved the warrant, a decision he said the department did not take lightly, given that standard practice where possible is to choose less intrusive tactics than searching someone’s home. Story continues below ad In that case, according to a person familiar with the matter, there was substantial engagement with Trump and his representatives prior to the search warrant, including a subpoena for records and a visit to Mar-a-Lago a few months ago by FBI and Justice Department officials to evaluate how the documents were stored. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. 2:08 US AG Garland ‘personally approved’ search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home Neither Trump nor the FBI have said anything about what documents the FBI may have recovered or what exactly the agents were looking for. But the former president complained again Thursday about the investigation. Trump, who has long criticized the FBI and sought to sow distrust among his supporters in its decisions, said the warrant was served and the investigation was conducted despite his cooperation with the Justice Department in the investigation. Story continues below ad In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said his “lawyers and representatives were fully cooperating” before the investigation and that government officials “could have had whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, if we had ». The Justice Department has until Friday afternoon to notify the judge whether Trump will oppose parole. 1:32 Trump invokes Fifth Amendment, won’t answer questions in NY AG probe FBI and DOJ policy cautions against discussing ongoing investigations, both to protect the integrity of investigations and to avoid unfairly abusing someone who is investigated but ultimately not charged. This is especially true in the case of search warrants, where supporting court documents are usually kept secret as the investigation progresses. In this case, however, Garland cited the fact that Trump himself had provided the first public confirmation of the FBI investigation, “as is his right.” The Justice Department, in its new filing, also said that disclosing information about it now would not harm the court’s operations. Story continues below ad Even so, Garland, in a hastily scheduled public statement delivered from the Justice Department podium, appeared to acknowledge the unusual nature of the department’s request as he declined to answer questions or provide any substantive details about the FBI’s investigation. . “Much of our work is necessarily done out of the public eye. We do this to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and to protect the integrity of our investigations,” he said. “Federal law, long-standing department rules and our ethical obligations prevent me from providing further details about the basis of the investigation at this time.”
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The Justice Department under Garland has been reluctant to make public statements about politically charged investigations or to confirm the extent to which it might be investigating Trump as part of a broader investigation into the January 6 riot at the US Capitol and efforts to overturn its results. 2020 elections. The department has sought to avoid being seen as meddling in presidential politics, as it did in 2016 when then-FBI Director James Comey made an unusual public statement announcing that the FBI would not recommend criminal charges against Clinton over her handling of emails — and when he spoke again just over a week before the election to notify Congress that the investigation was essentially being reopened due to the discovery of new emails. Story continues below ad The Mar-a-Lago search warrant issued Monday was part of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into classified White House files recovered from Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this year. The National Archives asked the department to investigate after it said 15 boxes of records recovered from the estate contained classified records. Multiple federal laws govern the handling of classified information. The attorney general also condemned verbal attacks on FBI and Justice Department personnel during the investigation. Some Republican allies of Trump have called for the FBI to be paid back. A large number of Trump supporters have called for the warrant to be issued, hoping it will show Trump was unfairly targeted. “I will not remain silent when their integrity is unfairly attacked,” Garland said of federal law enforcement agents, calling them “dedicated, patriotic public servants.” Earlier Thursday, a gunman wearing body armor tried to breach a security checkpoint at an FBI field office in Ohio, then fled and was later killed after a standoff with law enforcement. A law enforcement official briefed on the matter identified the man as Ricky Shiffer and said he was believed to be in Washington in the days leading up to the Capitol attack and may have been there the day it took place. © 2022 The Canadian Press
