New details on the raid on ex-US President Donald Trump: The FBI has apparently found several secret documents of enormous importance in the Florida property.
Update from August 13, 10:05 p.m.: Former US President Donald Trump’s team is said to have made false statements about the whereabouts of secret documents in his possession, according to a report. At least one of the Republican’s attorneys is said to have signed a statement in June that the classified material had been returned in its entirety to the government, like the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing four unnamed people. This document is said to have been handed over to the Ministry of Justice.
Donald Trump: FBI Finds Top Secret Documents
Update from August 13, 10:51 am: Donald Trump is back in the public eye – because he allegedly hoarded sensitive documents in his luxury home in Florida. Is it due to negligence on the part of the polarizing ex-president or is it even a politically motivated action that endangers the security interests of the United States?
During a search of the former US President’s home, the FBI seized several top-secret documents. This emerges from the receipt for the confiscated items, which a court in the US state of Florida published together with the search warrant at the request of US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Donald Trump hoards “top secret” and other documents in private estate
The description of the former Republican US President, on the other hand, sounds different: Trump had previously written on the social network Truth Social, which he co-founded, that all documents had been released, i.e. the secrecy was lifted. The 76-year-old sharply criticized the operation, accusing the government of his successor Joe Biden of abusing the FBI for political purposes. However, he denies having anything to do with it.
According to the FBI list, agents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home found a set of Top Secret/SCI documents, which are top secret and can only be viewed at special government facilities. Four sentences were classified as “Top Secret”, three more as “Secret”, the remaining three as “Confidential”. the Washington Post reported that the FBI was also looking for classified documents about nuclear weapons (see initial report).
According to the list, the FBI agents also confiscated numerous boxes, a pardon for Trump confidant Roger Stone, unspecified information about the “President of France” and two photo albums. The papers that have now been published say nothing about the content of the documents.
Donald Trump in the FBI’s sights – ex-president could face imprisonment
The search warrant lists three criminal offenses as possible grounds for possible seizures: collecting, transmitting or losing defense information, removing or destroying official documents, and destroying or altering documents to impede investigations. The first point can be punished with up to ten years, the second with up to three years and the third with up to 20 years imprisonment.
According to reports, that is not even unrealistic: at the beginning of 2022 it became known that the US National Archives suspected several boxes with confidential material in Mar-a-Lago, after which Donald Trump had already given the authority documents. After that, there was said to be another exchange between investigators and Trump’s lawyers – but there was still suspicion that the ex-president was withholding further documents.
In August, the raid followed, including the discovery of several sets of secret documents. The main question in the investigation is likely to revolve around the motive and the content of the relevant papers.
Donald Trump: Search of his property is considered unprecedented in US history
First report from August 12:
According to a media report, the FBI federal police are said to have searched for secret documents about nuclear weapons when they searched the property of ex-US President Donald Trump. But something is still unclear: The Washington Post reported on Friday night that the unspecified sources of the newspaper had neither said what information it was specifically, nor whether this information had affected the United States or other countries. The sources also did not provide any information as to whether relevant documents had been found during the search.
The FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last Monday, August 8th. The process is considered unprecedented in US history. Trump was not at his home during the search. He and other Republicans have strongly criticized the search 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.
The background to the search was apparently Trump’s handling of documents from his tenure. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the National Archives, which is responsible for storing presidential correspondence, suspected several boxes of confidential material were in Mar-a-Lago. Trump finally handed over several documents to the agency in January.
Raid on Donald Trump: FBI apparently confiscated twelve boxes
After that, according to US media reports, there was a further exchange between investigators and Trump’s lawyers. The officials had suspected that Trump or his team were still holding back important documents, they wrote Washington Post citing anonymous sources. The FBI is said to have taken twelve boxes
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that US Attorney General Merrick Garland said he “personally approved” the FBI’s raid on ex-President Donald Trump’s Florida mansion. There was a “reasonable reason” for the historically unique action against a former US president, Garland said in Washington on Thursday. “The Ministry does not take such a decision lightly.”
Gunman wants to break into FBI field office – man is shot
After the Trump raid in Florida, law enforcement officials were sometimes heavily criticized. Concerns about violent attacks also grew. “Violence against law enforcement agencies is not a solution – no matter what or who someone is angry about,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska.
A gunman tried to break into an FBI field office in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday. When the police confronted him, he fled, the FBI said. Nothing was initially known about the man’s motives. The broadcaster CNN reported that the attacker was shot dead by the police after a chase.
Donald Trump is also said to have torn up files and flushed them down the White House toilet during his presidency. The ex-president denies that – but now there are photos. (smu/dpa)
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