Trump employees moved boxes at Mar-a-Lago a day before visit from feds
Former President Donald Trump’s staff moved the boxes a day before a June 2022 visit by the FBI and a federal prosecutor to his Mar-a-Lago residence, a source familiar with the matter told CBS. confirmed to News.
Sources told CBS News that Trump’s team was aware of the planned June 2022 visit, and held so-called dress rehearsals for the visit ahead of time. The Washington Post First reported movement of documents.
It is unclear what was in the boxes.
A month later, on August 8, 2022, the FBI arrived unannounced at Mar-a-Lago with a search warrant and investigated the estate, allegedly retrieving classified documents. Trump was not informed of the August search, which He has repeatedly called for a “raid”.
Special counsel Jack Smith is overseeing the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Trump, including Trump’s handling of classified information after his presidency.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called the allegations Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called the allegations nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt against President Trump for election meddling. designed to prevent the American people from returning them to the White House. Bucks before Feds visit. “…During negotiations over the return of the documents, President Trump told a top DOJ official, ‘Anything you need from us, just tell us.’ That the DOJ rejected this offer of cooperation and raided Mar-a-Lago proves that the Biden administration has weaponized the DOJ and the FBI.”
Former Attorney General Bill Barr told CBS News last week that the documents probe is Trump’s biggest legal threat.
“It doesn’t go too far into intent or anything like that. It’s very clear that he had no business having those documents,” Barr said. “They’ve been given a long time to send them back. And they’ve been subpoenaed. And I’ve absolutely said he’s not going to get in trouble, probably, just to take them, like Biden I don’t think. That they’re going. Get in trouble or Pence isn’t going to get in trouble.”
Trump has defended his handling of government documents after the presidency, even those that are classified. Last year, he said presidents have the ability to declassify documents “without even thinking about it.”
“I was there and I took what I took and it’s not explained,” the former president told CNN’s Caitlin Collins at a town hall earlier this month.