In a statement that he released on Monday afternoon, former President Donald Trump stated that his passports were taken by federal investigators when they carried out a search order at his property in Florida the previous week.
Seizing Trump’s passport is a big deal because it shows the warrant (we haven’t seen the affidavit and DOJ is fighting to keep it hidden) was over broad and unlawful. FBI outright stole whatever it wanted, like Nazi goons. Will be curious if recording devices were planted.
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 16, 2022
In a statement on one of his social media accounts, President Trump claimed that his three passports, of which one was expired, were among the items taken by the FBI during their raid on Mar-a-Lago.
During the raid that was approved by the United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, federal agents discovered at least 4 sets of top secret papers, 3 sets of confidential files, and 3 sets of secret information.
According to multiple sources who spoke with The New York Times, at least one of Trump’s litigators signed a written declaration to the Department Of Justice earlier in the summer, claiming that all classified information and boxes stored in a store room on the real estate had been given back to the feds. On the site, agents investigated not only the storage room but also Trump’s office and apartment as well.
It is unlikely that either President Trump or a member of his legal team misled federal investigators, even given the signed declaration and the discovery of 11 sets of sensitive materials on the property.
The provisions of the United States Criminal Code that were referenced on the search warrant suggest that the inquiry is centered upon probable breaches of the Espionage Act, the unauthorized taking of federal records, and obstructing justice in relation to the discarding of papers.
On Monday, attorneys for Rudy Giuliani, who formerly served as a personal attorney for Donald Trump, said that their client is the subject of a criminal investigation in the state of Georgia relating to issues concerning the presidential election in 2020.
According to a story in The New York Times, authorities in Fulton County have questioned witnesses in front of a special grand jury concerning comments that Giuliani made during hearings in front of state legislative bodies one month after the elections in 2020.
Giuliani couldn’t appear in front of the special grand jury because of a recent medical operation that prohibited him from being able to travel. The media portrayed it as an attempt to buy him more time to avoid having to testify.
However, Willis’ office was able to get records demonstrating that the individual had “bought various plane tickets with cash, including tickets to Rome, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland,” for dates that “were after” his “medical treatment.” Like a man is not allowed to have a little vacation after an intensive surgery.
Before this time, Giuliani is set to provide testimony at a courthouse in Atlanta on Wednesday. “If these people think he’s going to talk about conversations between him and President Trump, they’re delusional,” Giuliani attorney Robert Costello said.