MIAMI - Former President Donald Trump said in a statement Monday that his home in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida was raided by a large group of FBI agents. Trump also claimed that 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 released 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 he said that they even broke into my safe! A person familiar with the matter said that the FBI is not disputing that it carried out the search.
An FBI Washington Field Office official declined to comment, and officials at the FBI field office in Miami did not respond to a request for comment.
The White House said it wasn't given a heads up.
A White House official said that they did not have a notice of the reported action and would send you to the Justice Department for any additional information.
The FBI raid came after Attorney General Merrick Garland told NBC News that the most extensive investigation in the Justice Department history was examining not only the rioters who invaded the Capitol and physically attacked officers, but also was looking into 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 confirmed by NBC News sources.
The status of that request is not known.
The National Archives arranged the transport of 15 boxes of Presidential records from Mar-a-Lago to the National Archives in mid-January, 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.
A person close to Trump said he was not running before about how the law enforcement action might affect Trump's political aspirations. A source who was not allowed to speak publicly appeared to suggest 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 the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.