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A raid on Mar-a-Lago by federal agents was a “spectacular backfire,” according to an anonymous DOJ source who spoke to Newsweek.
The source said the raid was based largely on information from an FBI confidential human source, who was able to identify what classified documents former President Trump was still hiding and even the location of those documents.
The officials said the raid was deliberately timed to occur when the former president was away.
An administration official told Newsweek that the decision to keep the operation quiet was intended to avoid giving Trump a platform from which to grandstand or obstruct the inquiry.
However, the official said that the raid “prompted a furious response from GOP leaders and Trump supporters.”
The Justice Department official described the reaction to the raid as a “spectacular backfire” and said that it was “disappointing” to see how Trump’s supporters responded.
The official also said that the FBI is “very mindful” of the need to maintain the public’s trust and that the raid was conducted in a way that respected Trump’s rights and followed the law.
The second source: “They were seeking to avoid any media circus. So even though everything made sense bureaucratically and the FBI feared that the documents might be destroyed, they also created the very firestorm they sought to avoid, in ignoring the fallout.”
According to a search warrant disclosed Friday, the FBI seized multiple sets of documents marked top secret from former President Donald Trump’s resort home Mar-a-Lago when agents raided it Monday.
The warrant directed agents to seize “all physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed” in violation of three laws related to handling of government documents.
It is not clear what the seized documents pertain to, but the raid adds to the legal scrutiny Trump faces even after leaving office. Earlier this week, it was revealed that the Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating Trump and his businesses for possible financial crimes.
The Mar-a-Lago raid is not related to that investigation, but it shows that Trump continues to be a target of law enforcement even after he has left the White House. Trump has long been accused of using his position as president to enrich himself and his family, and these latest developments suggest that those allegations are being taken seriously by authorities.
The FBI has not commented on the raid, and it is not clear if any charges will be filed as a result of the seized documents.
The documents were among those that agents were looking for when they raided the home of Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, last month.
The three statutes under which the documents fall — Title 18 of the United States Code, Sections 793, 1519 and 2071 — each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The first statute, which relates to removing or destroying government records, includes a punishment of being “disqualified from holding any office under the United States,” according to the text of the law.
None of the three statutes hinge on whether the documents in question were classified.
Outrage does not a HANGING make!!!!!!!!! TREASON is TREASON and EVERY TERRORIST “DISGUISED ” as a Dem should HANG until DEAD for TREASON AND “Crimes against Humanity” for the DEATH SHOT “DISGUISED” as a VACCINE!!!!!!!!!!! 30 MILLION INSTANTLY DEAD but, COVERED UP by the TERRORIST OWNED Media!!!!!!!!!
TERRORIST RULE is losing momentum!!!!!! AND….UNITING America AGAINST THEM because, “they” are united against US!!!!!! WOKE YET, CLUELESS ASSHOLES?!?!?!?!???!!!