FBI Searches Trump's Florida Home In Probe of White House Records

The FBI executed a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago estate of former President Trump on Monday in an investigation into the alleged mishandling of White House records, including classified material, Politico reports. The Florida raid resulted in the seizure of paper records. Trump attorney Christina Bobb was present during the search. It was a historic step by the Justice Department to investigate the residence of a former president, who is facing a complex thicket of legal threats. No former president has faced such a public law enforcement action, which led to calls among his allies for recriminations and even the elimination of federal law enforcement agencies. “They even broke into my safe,” Trump said, comparing the case to Watergate. “After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Trump said. Though the investigation of Trump’s handling of presidential records has been percolating, it has largely remained in the background while the Jan. 6 select committee built a case that Trump committed crimes to disrupt the transition of power after his defeat in the 2020 election. The National Archives and Records Administration said in February that it had sought to recover 15 boxes of records from Mar-a-Lago that it deemed improperly removed, including some marked as “classified national security information.” An executed search warrant would require the signoff of a federal judge or magistrate, who would approve it based on evidence of a potential crime. Republicans in Congress vowed an investigation of the FBI. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted, "Congress must look into the viability of enforcement agencies that abuse their authorities for political purposes."