Former US President Donald Trump is under investigation for possible violations of the espionage law, reported this Friday the Guardian newspaper, which had access to the warrant served by the FBI in the searches of his home.
In addition to violations of the Espionage Act, Trump is also being investigated for alleged obstruction of justice and destruction of federal government records, the newspaper said after a Florida judge released documents with that information.
The warrant that allowed the FBI to search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida mansion on Monday shows that agents were looking for evidence of Trump’s mishandling of confidential documents. Republican, including some classified as “top secret”, which constituted a violation of three criminal statutes.
Conviction under these statutes can result in imprisonment or fines. Thus, the search warrant authorized FBI agents to seize materials from Trump’s residence to investigate crimes related to the Espionage Act, which prohibits unauthorized retention of national security information that could harm the United States or help an adversary.
Donald Trump, who classifies searches of his residence as “un-American, unjustified and unnecessary”, had already demanded today the “immediate” disclosure of this federal warrant used by the FBI.
Hours earlier, the Justice Department also asked a court for the warrant to be released, with Attorney General Merrick Garland citing the “substantial public interest in this matter”.
The Justice Department’s request is surprising, given that such documents traditionally remain sealed during an ongoing investigation.
However, the Department appears to recognize that its silence since the searches has opened up a space for verbal attacks by Trump and his allies and that the public is entitled to know the FBI’s side of what prompted Monday’s action on the former head of state’s home.
“The public’s clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favor of opening up,” said a motion filed in federal court in Florida on Thursday.
Now, in addition to the warrant that authorized the search, a long inventory of documents seized on Monday by FBI agents has also been released.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that agents have recovered classified documents, including some “top secret” that were supposed to be only in special government facilities.
Source: With Agencies
