FBI raid at Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago: A timeline based on Justice Department affidavit

The United
States Department of Justice (DoJ) Friday released a redacted version of the
search warrant that allowed federal investigators to search former President
Donald Trump’s home Mar-a-Lago in Florida on August 8. The affidavit reveals
the “probable cause” that allowed FBI agents to search the former president’s
home and provides a timeline leading to the search. Here’s what the affidavit reveals:

On
February 9, 2022,
the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) office of inspector
general special agent sent a NARA referral email to the Justice Department.

The NARA
referral stated that according to NARA’s White House Liaison Division Director,
a preliminary review of the 15 boxes indicated that they contained “newspapers,
magazines, printed news articles, photos, miscellaneous print-outs, notes,
presidential correspondence, personal and postpresidential records, and ‘a lot
of classified records.’ Of the most significant concern was that highly
classified records were unfoldered, intermixed with other records, and
otherwise unproperly [sic] identified.”  

On
February 18, 2022, NARA
chief administrator stated to Congress Committee on Oversight and Reform
Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney: “NARA had ongoing communications with the
representatives of former President Trump throughout 2021, which resulted in
the transfer of 15 boxes to NARA in January 2022 …. NARA has identified items
marked as classified national security information within the boxes.”

The same
day, Trump-backed Save America Political Action Committee (PAC) posted a
statement saying: “The National Archives did not ‘find’ anything, they were
given, upon request, Presidential records in an ordinary and routine process to
ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential
Records Act ….”

The
affidavit then documents the process in which boxes were moved from the White
House to Mar-a-Lago when Donald Trump was demitting office. The affidavit cites
a CBS article titled “Moving Trucks Spotted at Mar-a-Lago.” The report states
at least two moving trucks were observed at the ‘premises.’

From May
16-18, 2022, FBI
agents ran a preliminary review of the 15 boxes provided to NARA. A preliminary
triage of documents with classification markings showed 184 unique documents
bearing classification markings, including 67 documents marked CONFIDENTIAL, 92
documents marked SECRET, and 25 documents marked TOP SECRET. Several documents
also contained Donald Trump’s handwritten notes.  

On
August 8, 2022, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials raided Donald Trump’s residence.