Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that the Justice Department has filed a motion to open search warrants and property receipts from the FBI’s recent raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Garland announced the motion at a press conference, marking his first public statement on the matter since Trump publicly confirmed the search at his residence in Florida on Monday night.
Garland declined to answer questions or provide details about the search, but said he “personally endorsed the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter,” adding, “Authorities do not take such decisions lightly. ‘ added.
Garland said the search warrant was “approved by a federal court based on the necessary findings of probable cause,” and that copies of both the warrant and the FBI property receipt were “provided to the former president’s attorney on the day of the search.” I was at the scene during the search.”
Multiple reports said the raid was related to an investigation into possible mishandling of classified documents by Trump. May, Federal Grand Jury Launches Investigation Whether you mishandled top-secret documents, like bringing 15 boxes of materials to a resort in Florida.
Monday’s raid was the first Reported by Florida Politics — said the FBI executed a search warrant and left the facility — minutes before Trump posted his statement about it on his social media sites. true society.
“My beautiful home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, is currently being besieged, raided and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump said in a statement. is a dark time for our country. It was accused of being an attack by
Garland said Thursday that the search warrant was “approved by a federal court based on the necessary findings of probable cause.”
Nevertheless, Republican lawmakers and conservative commentator jumped to the former president’s defense, echoed his persecution allegations, and called for the dissolution of the FBI.
It didn’t take long for some of the rhetoric about the Mar-a-Lago attack to turn violent. Within hours of Trump’s statement announcing the raid, social media users From Twitter to fringe platforms like Gab and Telegram, call for civil war and vow to take up arms.
At Thursday’s press conference, Garland attempted to address what he called “recent baseless attacks on the professionalism of FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors.”
“I’m not going to sit on the sidelines while their decency is unfairly attacked,” Garland said. “The men and women of the FBI and the Department of Justice are dedicated, patriotic public servants.Every day they protect Americans from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to security while defending our civil rights. is very personally sacrificing himself and taking risks.
“It’s an honor to work with them,” he added.