Did Trump violate anti-espionage law?
Several folders containing photos, classified government information and at least one handwritten note were also confiscated. In the published search warrant, the raid is justified, among other things, with the suspicion of possession of sensitive defense documents. Accordingly, it was about a possible violation of the anti-espionage law in the United States. Other allegations include obstruction of justice and illegal handling of state-owned documents.
The Washington Post reported on Friday night that the FBI was also looking for classified documents about nuclear weapons. Trump had denied this. “The nuclear weapons issue is a hoax,” he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump employees: authorities probably packed the wrong boxes
The list of confiscated items was countersigned by Trump’s attorney Christina Bobb, according to CNN reports. She was present at the FBI operation, but according to her own words, was not allowed to observe the search. She signed two receipts.
Kash Patel, who was apparently commissioned by Trump to take care of the files after leaving the White House, has now blamed the US agency “General Services Administration (GSA)” for the FBI finds. “The GSA mistakenly packed some boxes and took them to Mar-a-Lago. It’s not the President’s fault. It’s up to the National Archives to sort this out,” Patel told Fox. Trump declassified several documents at the end of his term. It is unclear whether these are also those that have now been found.
Trump endorsed publication
Trump had said that he would not oppose the publication of the search warrant. At the same time, however, he repeated the accusation that he was the victim of “unprecedented political arming of law enforcement agencies” by “radical left-wing democrats”.
The raid has sparked anger and outrage in right-wing circles, fueling fears of violence. FBI Director Christopher Wray lamented threats against the federal police on Wednesday and described them as “reprehensible and dangerous”.
Trump had also expressed himself in the “Truth Social” network he founded. “Firstly, everything was declassified. Secondly, they didn’t have to ‘seize’ anything. They could have had it at any time without playing politics and breaking into Mar-a-Lago. It was in a storage room, with an extra lock, as required “Fox broadcaster quoted the ex-president as saying.
Biden was uninformed
The federal police searching the residence of an ex-president is unique in US history. Trump was not at his home during the search. He and other Republicans have strongly criticized the raid and accused Democratic US President Joe Biden of politicizing the FBI.
According to the White House, Biden did not know in advance about the search of the Trump property. Attorney General Garland said on Thursday that he personally endorsed the decision. He said he could not comment on the details of the search. However, given the public interest and Trump’s confirmation of the incident, his department has petitioned a federal court to release the search warrant and receipt for confiscated items.