Former President Donald Trump tried to spin news of an FBI search of his Florida home in his favor on Tuesday, citing an investigation into text messages and emails soliciting political donations from supporters.
The unprecedented search marks an intensification of a federal investigation into whether Trump illegally deleted White House records when he leaves office in January 2021.
Trump has tried to portray the search at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach as a politically motivated move by President Joe Biden’s administration, even as the former president plays a key role in the Republican primaries ahead of November’s midterm elections. Determining control of the White House of the United States Congress.
“They are trying to stop me and the Republican Party again,” Trump said in a fundraising email seen by the agency.
Days after losing the 2020 election to Biden, Trump launched the political action committee “Save America” and has more than $100 million in the bank.
His Republican allies in Congress have vowed to launch an investigation into the probe if he regains control of the House or Senate in November.
House Republicans, including Rep. Jim Banks, are scheduled to meet with Trump on Tuesday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment or even confirm the investigation.
The FBI cannot conduct a search without the approval of a judge who approves probable cause. It’s also almost certain that Trump-appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray and his boss, Biden-appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland, agreed to the request, the agency said.
A White House official said Biden had not received advance notice of the investigation.
David Lauman, a former Justice Department official who oversaw the prosecution of national security crimes, said: “In my opinion, this warrant may be scrutinized more than any search warrant in the history of the Justice Department.”
The FBI visited Trump’s estate earlier this year to examine boxes in a locked storage room, according to a person familiar with the visit.
The search is only an investigative phase and does not mean Trump will automatically face criminal charges or be convicted of any wrongdoing.
It is a crime to hide or destroy government records.
Anyone convicted of violating a US law called the Government Records Act is barred from holding federal office and faces up to three years in prison.
That means if Trump is convicted, he would likely challenge any attempt to impeach him again, likely to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority that includes three of his appointees.
The investigation into the documents is one of several that have focused on Trump since he left office, weeks after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed attempt to avenge his election defeat.
Trump continues to claim that the election was stolen through widespread voter fraud.
Trump remains the most influential voice in the Republican Party, although recent polls show Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has surged as a potential 2024 candidate.
But Trump has survived several political scandals, and observers said the FBI investigation could boost his standing with Republican voters.
Source: Lebanon Debate
