Fourteen of the 15 boxes found at the mansion of former US President Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, contained classified documents. Many of them are top secret, mixed with newspapers, magazines and personal correspondence.According to an FBI affidavit released Friday.
According to court documents revealing the FBI’s rationale for the search of the billionaire’s assets, There was no place in the mansion to store classified materials.,
The 32-page sworn document contains the most detailed description to date of government documents held at Mar-a-Lago long after Trump left to protect witnesses and protect the ongoing investigation. It also echoes the White House’s concerns about the content of documents that have been illegally placed there.,
The document elaborates that the apparent failure to maintain and protect classified records, despite months of requests from U.S. officials, As he lays the groundwork for another possible presidency in 2024, Trump has uncovered a new legal threat.
,The government is conducting criminal investigations related to the illegal seizure and storage of classified records in unauthorized locations, as well as the illegal theft of top secret documents.“- wrote one of the FBI agents on the first page of the affidavit.
The released documents show that federal agents are investigating possible violations of several federal laws, including a law that governs the collection, transfer, or loss of defense information under the Espionage Act.
Trump insisted he was fully cooperating with government officials, despite evidence provided by the federal police. He also asked the Republican Party to support him, which he called “the only one”.Politically motivated witch hunt aims to hurt his re-election bids,
Trump’s lawyers have filed a new request to appoint an independent magistrate to review documents recovered from the Mar-a-Lago mansion, saying the revised affidavit does not give the former president enough information about it. that’s why it happened. Or what material was taken.
The affidavit does not mention the 11 secret recordings found during the August 8 raid on Mar-e-Lago, but 15 refers to a separate batch of boxes that the National Archives and Records Administration seized from a home in January.,
The document shows that the Mar-a-Lago raids were necessary because of the highly classified material in those 15 boxes., Of the 184 classified documents, 25 were classified as top secret. Some of the files had special markings that indicated that they contained a set of information or authorized electronic “signals” from highly sensitive human sources. special intelligence court.
Douglas London, a former high-ranking CIA officer and author of The Recruiter, said it reflected Trump’s disrespect for control. ,One of the rules of classified material is that it must not be mixed with unclassified material, lest it cause an error or an accident.“, Said.
Federal agents were allowed to conduct a thorough search of Mar-a-Lago, including Trump’s post-presidency office, warehouses, and any other places where boxes or documents may have been stored. However, searches in areas adjacent to property used or rented by residents of this locality were not carried out.
The FBI filed an affidavit with the prosecutor to obtain a search warrant for Trump’s assets. The affidavit often contains important information about the investigation, in which officers detail their reasons for wanting to search a particular location and believe that they are likely to find evidence of a possible crime there. Is.
Documents often remain sealed during an investigation. but Due to public interest in the investigation, Federal Judge Bruce Reinhart ruled on Thursday that the Submitted the application by Friday.
In another document released Friday, Justice Department officials said that Some information needs to be changed “to protect the safety and confidentiality of a large number of civilian witnesses other than law enforcement officials, and to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations.”,
The second part of the affidavit has been almost completely rewritten, making it impossible to understand the scope of the investigation or where it might lead. It does not reveal who may be subject to scrutiny, nor does it address fundamental questions such as why top-secret documents were brought to Mar-a-Lago after the end of President Trump’s term.
The text, released on Friday, includes excerpts from a June 8 letter in which a Justice Department official reminded Trump’s lawyer that Mar-a-Lago does not have a licensed secure location to store classified records. The official said the room in the mansion where documents were kept should be preserved, and boxes brought from the White House to Mar-a-Lago should be kept in that room in their current condition until further notice.,
The document also provides insight into the arguments that Trump’s legal team is expected to make in response to the claim that the president “The absolute right to declassify documents and the actions of the President in relation to such documents are not subject to criminal liability.,
(according to Associated Press)
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