Key events
The House Oversight Committee, which is leading the congressional investigation into mishandled documents, has released a statement this evening.
Chairwoman, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York, said:
Presidents have a solemn duty to protect America’s national security, and allegations that former President Trump put our security at risk by mishandling classified information warrant the utmost scrutiny.”
30 FBI agents ‘ransacked’ Mar-a-Lago home: Eric Trump
Donald Trump’s eldest son Eric has given an interview with Fox News this evening, claiming 30 FBI agents “ransacked” his father’s home.
To have 30 FBI agents – actually more than that – descend on Mar-a-Lago and give absolutely no notice go through the gates, start ransacking an office, ransacking a closet … you know they broke into a safe.”
Trump and his allies immediately sought to cast the search as part of a Democratic-driven effort to keep him from winning another term in 2024, even though the Biden White House said it had no prior knowledge of the search and the current FBI director, Christopher Wray, was appointed by Trump five years ago and served as a high-ranking official in a Republican-led Justice Department.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Trump said in his statement.
He added: “These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before.”
We are receiving some images from the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Armed secret service agents were seen standing outside an entrance to the former president’s home late Monday.
Police were also seen directing traffic outside one entrance to the estate.
Classified material found in 15 boxes – reports
The search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home appears to have been related to an investigation into the former president unlawfully taking White House classified documents with him to the residence after his presidency.
The discovery of classified information at the Palm Beach property was referred to the Justice Department by the National Archives and Records Administration, which said it had found classified material in 15 boxes at the residence, according to the Associated Press.
Federal law bars the removal of classified documents to unauthorized locations, though it is possible that Trump could try to argue that, as president, he was the ultimate declassification authority.
There are multiple statutes governing classified information, including a law punishable by up to five years in prison that makes it a crime to remove such records and retain them at an unauthorized location.
Another statute makes it a crime to mishandle classified records either intentionally or in a grossly negligent manner.
US officials surprised by search – reports
The news that the FBI executed a search on Trump’s home has come as a surprise to many US officials.
Many of Trump’s advisers have said they are unclear exactly why the search warrant was issued, according to the New York Times.
President Biden’s top aides found out about the search from reports on Twitter and had no advance notice, a Democratic source familiar with the matter told the newspaper.
Senior White House officials said they only saw the news via former President Trump’s statement.
Trump’s statement in full
Donald Trump issued a statement on Monday, saying his Mar-a-Lago home had been “raided” and that authorities had even broken into a safe.
Read the full statement, released shortly before 7pm ET, below:
These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before. After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate. It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections. Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.
The political persecution of President Donald J. Trump has been going on for years, with the now fully debunked Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and so much more, it just never ends. It is political targeting at the highest level!
Hillary Clinton was allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 E-mails AFTER they were subpoenaed by Congress. Absolutely nothing has happened to hold her accountable. She even took antique furniture, and other items from the White House.
I stood up to America’s bureaucratic corruption, I restored power to the people, and truly delivered for our Country, like we have never seen before. The establishment hated it. Now, as they watch my endorsed candidates win big victories, and see my dominance in all polls, they are trying to stop me, and the Republican Party, once more. The lawlessness, political persecution, and Witch Hunt must be exposed and stopped.
I will continue to fight for the Great American People!”
After leaving the White House, Donald Trump moved into his Mar-a-Lago estate in the exclusive Florida enclave of Palm Beach.
During his presidency, Mar-a-Lago was known as Trump’s “winter White House”. Trump and his wife, Melania, returned to the Florida resort after leaving Washington and since then, the president has made it the centre of his political dealings.
The FBI reportedly executed a search warrant at the residence around 6pm ET which appears to have been related to an investigation into Trump unlawfully taking White House documents with him to the property after his presidency, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
I’m Samantha Lock and I will be bringing you all the latest developments.
It is 8.30pm in Florida where former US president Donald Trump has said FBI agents raided his estate on Monday and broke into his safe.
The reported raid comes amid a US justice department investigation of Trump’s removal of official presidential records to the Palm Beach, Florida, club.
What we know so far:
- Trump claimed FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday and broke into his safe, adding that his estate “is currently under siege, raided, and occupied.”
- The FBI executed a search warrant around 6pm ET which appears to have been related to an investigation into Trump unlawfully taking White House classified documents with him to Mar-a-Lago after his presidency, according to a source familiar with the matter.
- The search appeared to concern boxes of classified documents that Trump brought with him from the White House to the Florida club, the New York Times reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the investigation.
- Trump said: “After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate … They even broke into my safe!”
- Trump was not at the estate at the time of the raid and was in the New York area, according to CNN.
- Trump compared the FBI raid to “Watergate” and blamed it on “Radical Left Democrats” who he said “desperately don’t want me to run for president in 2024 … who will do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming midterms elections”.
- The US justice department launched an early-stage investigation into Trump’s removal of records to the Florida estate, a source familiar with the matter said in April.
- The investigation comes after the US national archives and records administration in February notified Congress that it had recovered about 15 boxes of White House documents from Trump’s Florida home, some of which contained classified materials.
- Trump initially delayed returning the 15 boxes of material requested by officials for many months, only doing so when there became a threat of action being taken to retrieve them.
- The US justice department and the FBI has declined to comment on the raid.