New Details on the Trump Search and a Big Announcement by Merrick Garland
Lots of developments today in the story of the FBI's Mar-a-Lago visit
One of the complaints we’ve seen from conservative media are the premature arguments by conservatives that Trump should have been subpoenaed for the documents at Mar-a-Lago, rather than “raided.” Well, according to new reporting by the New York Times, it turns out he had already gotten one. According to the report, the Justice Department believed that there were still sensitive documents remaining at Trump’s Florida home, even after more than a dozen boxes were removed earlier this year. From the report:
“Two people briefed on the classified documents that investigators believe remained at Mar-a-Lago indicated that they were so sensitive in nature, and related to national security, that the Justice Department had to act.”
A report today by John Solomon of Just the News also revealed the subpoena as well as details from the visit the FBI made to the compound just two months ago. According to his sources, Trump and his attorneys cooperated with the agents and their requests, and even showed them a private locker where documents artifacts from his presidency are kept.
Republicans have been flipping out ever since the search occurred, and are now arguing that the subpoena is proof that Trump was fully cooperating with authorities and that the search warrant was unwarranted. They are now speculating that the judge who signed off on the warrant, Bruce Reinhart, may not have been informed about the cooperation that Trump had displayed earlier.
Today, Attorney General Merrick Garland came out in a press conference and confirmed that he personally signed off on the move to obtain the search warrant. He also announced that the Department moved to reveal the details of the warrant and the list of items that were taken from Trump’s property. What will be interesting to see next is whether Trump directs his attorneys to fight the motion to reveal these details, and what will be revealed to the public if the motion succeeds or is not resisted.