Trump claimed the justice system had been weaponised to prevent him from running for the White House again
Donald Trump had said his Florida home was “raided” by the FBI, and that agents cracked his safe in what are “dark times for our nation”.
The former US president said in a statement that Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach was “occupied by a large group of FBI agents”.
The search was reportedly connected to an investigation into Trump’s handling of official papers and took place while he was reportedly at Trump Towers, in New York City, CBS News reported.
Reports suggest the search related to documents which Trump may have taken to Mar-a-Lago on leaving the White House in January 2021.
Trump’s lawyer, Christina Bobb, confirmed to NBC News that some papers had been seized during the raid.
Trump, who is preparing for a possible third presidential run in 2024, released a statement about the raid which began, “these are dark times for our Nation”.
Trump says MAL has been searched by feds pic.twitter.com/UEC5KE5pJm
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 8, 2022
He said the “unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate” as he had co-operated with all relevant government agencies.
And he claimed it amounted to “prosecutorial misconduct” and “the weaponisation of the Justice System” to prevent him from running for the White House again.
“Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries,” he wrote.
“Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. “They even broke into my safe!”
Trump second-oldest son, Eric Trump, claimed to Fox News that the search warrant related to an investigation into the handling of National Archives records.
In February, the National Archives, the US government agency that manages the preservation of presidential records, asked the justice department to investigate Trump for his handling of official papers, and is said to have retrieved 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago, some of which contained classified records.
US presidents are required by law to transfer all of their letters, work documents and emails to the National Archives.
It has been reported that Trump ripped up many records.
An unnamed law enforcement official told CBS that the Secret Service was notified shortly before the warrant was served around 10:00 (14:00 GMT), and that agents protecting Trump helped the FBI investigators.
Several boxes were taken away, the source said.
In a forthcoming book, Confidence Man, New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman will report that staff at the White House residency sometimes found wads of paper clogging a toilet, and that they believed Trump was the flusher.
In addition to the National Archives inquiry, a US House of Representatives select committee is investigating Trump’s actions surrounding the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
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