In a lengthy statement Monday night, Trump said, “They even broke into my safe!”
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Trump says his Mar-a-Lago home was 'raided' by 'large group of FBI agents'
A person familiar with the matter said the FBI is not disputing that it carried out the search.
MIAMI — Former President
Donald Trump said in a statement Monday that his home at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, was “raided” by “a large group of FBI agents.”
Trump also claimed the presence of law enforcement was unannounced and the reason was politically motivated, though he did not provide specifics.
“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,” Trump said in a lengthy email statement issued by his Save America political committee.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate," Trump said before bemoaning: "They even broke into my safe!"
A person familiar with the matter said the FBI is not disputing that it carried out the search.
At Justice Department headquarters, a spokesperson declined to comment to NBC News. An official at the FBI Washington Field Office declined to comment, and officials at the FBI field office in Miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House said it was not given a heads up.
“We did not have notice of the reported action and would refer you to the Justice Department for any additional information,” a White House official said.
The FBI raid came days after Attorney General Merrick Garland
told NBC News that the "most wide-ranging investigation" in Justice Department history was examining not only the rioters who invaded the Capitol and physically attacked officers, but was also examining whether anyone was “criminally responsible for interfering with the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another."
In February, the
National Archives and Records Administration
asked the Justice Department to examine whether
Trump’s
handling of White House records violated federal law, a story first reported by
The Washington Post and subsequently confirmed by NBC News sources.
The status of that request is unclear.
In mid-January, the National Archives “arranged for the transport from Mar-a-Lago to the National Archives of 15 boxes that contained Presidential records, following discussions with President Trump’s representatives in 2021,” the agency said in a statement.
Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, which resulted in his second impeachment, is also the subject of a House committee examining the insurrection.
Of how the law enforcement action might affect Trump’s political aspirations, a person close to Trump said: “If he wasn’t running before, he is now.”
The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, appeared to be suggesting that Trump might benefit from being an active candidate for the presidency if he faces legal jeopardy.
Trump is not at Mar-a-Lago, his winter residence. He often spends his summers at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
Marc Caputo reported from Miami, Ryan J. Reilly reported from Washington.
