FBI took 11 sets of confidential materials from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home

The Justice Department removed 11 sets of classified documents from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence while executing a search warrant this week for possible violations of the Espionage Act and other crimes, according to open court documents and released on Friday (12).

The property receipt, which was also released on Friday, for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home shows that some of the recovered materials were marked “top secret” – one of the highest levels of classification.

The search warrant identifies three federal crimes that the Department of Justice is looking into as part of its investigation: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice, and criminal manipulation of government records. The inclusion of the crimes indicates that the Department of Justice has probable cause to investigate these offences, as it was gathering evidence in the search. No one has been charged with a crime so far.

The warrant receipt did not detail the subject of these confidential documents, but noted that federal agents seized only one set marked “top secret.”

The agents also took four sets of “top secret” documents, three sets of “secret” documents and three sets of “confidential” documents, court documents show. In total, the unsealed warrant shows that the FBI collected more than 20 boxes, as well as folders of photos, sets of confidential government materials, and at least one handwritten note.

The warrant, which was opened and publicly released following the order of a federal judge, was obtained by the CNN before its release. The moment marks an unprecedented week that began with the search – an evidence-gathering step in a national security investigation.

Search warrant reveals new details about scope of FBI investigation

While details about the documents themselves remain sparse, the laws cited in the warrant offer fresh insight into what the FBI was looking for when it searched Trump’s home, an unprecedented step that has sparked a firestorm of criticism from the former’s closest allies. -president.

The laws cover “destroying or concealing documents to obstruct government investigations” and the unlawful removal of government records, according to the search warrant released Friday.

Also among the laws listed is one known as the Espionage Act, which refers to the “retrieval, storage or transmission of national defense information or classified material”.

All three criminal laws cited in the warrant are from Title 18 of the United States Code. None of them depend solely on whether the information was considered unclassified.

One of the least sensitive items taken from Trump’s resort, according to the property’s receipt, was a pardon document for Roger Stone, a staunch Trump ally who was convicted in 2019 of lying to Congress during its investigation into Russian interference. in the 2016 election (Trump pardoned Stone before leaving office, protecting him from a three-year prison term).

It is unclear how the Stone-related document seized during the search is linked to the broader criminal investigation into Trump’s possible mishandling of classified materials.

During the search, FBI agents also recovered material about the “President of France,” according to the warrant receipt. The French embassy in Washington declined to respond on Friday to the development.

FBI agents searched “45 Office” in Mar-a-Lago

Court documents released on Friday also offer new details about the search itself and revealed that FBI agents only had access to specific locations within Mar-a-Lago as they searched Trump’s resort residence for possible evidence. of crimes.

The judge authorized the FBI to search what the agency called “Office 45,” an apparent reference to Trump’s place in history as the 45th president. Agents were also allowed to search “all other rooms or areas” at Mar-a-Lago that were available to Trump and his staff to store boxes and documents.

“Locations to be searched include ‘Office 45’, all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available for use by the past president and his staff and in which boxes or documents may be used. be stored, including all structures or buildings on the property,” the warrant reads, using the acronym “FPOTUS” to refer to Trump.

The FBI’s warrant request to the judge specifically said that federal agents would prevent areas from being leased or used by third parties, “such as Mar-a-Lago members” and “private guest suites.” Trump owns the sprawling property, and it is his primary residence, as well as a members-only club and resort.

“It is described as a mansion with approximately 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, on a 17-acre property,” FBI agents told the judge in their order, describing the Mar-a-Lago property.

Trump did not object to release of search warrant

The FBI’s search of the Palm Beach, Florida resort on Monday was followed by days of silence from the Department of Justice, as is the department’s normal practice for ongoing investigations.

Then on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the department had decided to open the search warrant and two attachments, including a probate list, but also emphasized that some of the department’s work must happen out of sight of the public.

“We do this to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and to protect the integrity of our investigations,” Garland said, explaining that she would not provide further details on the basis of the search.

Trump said in a late-night post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday that he “would not oppose the release of documents” and that he was “taking it a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents.”

The court instructed the Justice Department to speak with Trump about his request to open the warrant documents and set a Friday deadline for whether he has opposed the release.

Trump’s team contacted outside lawyers about how to proceed, and the former president’s orbit was taken by surprise by Garland’s announcement.

In a couple of posts on Truth Social following Garland’s statement, Trump went on to claim that his attorneys were “fully cooperating” and had developed “very good relationships” with federal investigators ahead of Monday’s Mar-a-Lago search.

“The government could have whatever it wanted, if we had it,” Trump said. “Everything was fine, better than most previous presidents, and then out of the blue and without warning, Mar-a-Lago was invaded, at 6:30 am, by a VERY large number of agents and even ‘safecrackers’. ‘. ‘”

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

Kevin Liptak of CNN contributed to this report.