Former US president Donald Trump said in a lengthy statement on Monday that the FBI was conducting a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate. A person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press news agency that the action was related to a probe of whether Mr Trump had taken classified records from his White House tenure to his Florida residence.
The action, which the FBI and Justice Department did not immediately confirm, marks a dramatic escalation in law enforcement scrutiny of the former president and comes as he has been laying the groundwork to make another bid for the White House. Though a search warrant does not suggest that criminal charges are near or even expected, federal officials looking to obtain one must demonstrate that they have probable cause that a crime occurred.
“After working and co-operating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Mr Trump said in his statement, claiming agents broke into a safe during the search. 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.”
