August 29, 2022
The government is conducting a criminal investigation concerning the improper removal and storage of classified information in unauthorized spaces, as well as the unlawful concealment or removal of government records.
A quote from the affidavit used to attain a warrant to search the residence of former Pres. Trump.
Why It Matters: The affidavit provided a basis for a warrant, approved by a federal judge, for the FBI to search the estate of former President Trump. The issue at hand: The handling (or mishandling) of classified/top-secret documents by the former President.
- This affidavit is heavily redacted, so we don’t have the complete picture. However, we do know as a result of this affidavit, a search warrant led the FBI to remove what’s being described as multiple sets of classified records from the president’s estate during a search on August 8th.
- Whether or not the former President will be charged with a crime remains TBD.
- A criminal charge related to classified documents against a former president would be unprecedented.
- It is also unusual for an affidavit to be released during an ongoing investigation (because it can reveal a lot into an investigation before law enforcement even decides to charge a person with a crime), but because of what’s described as “extraordinary public interest” in this situation, a judge approved the redacted release.
Here’s a link to the affidavit
FBI: Trump mixed top secret docs with magazines, other items
The below video was recorded prior to the affidavit being released but still provides some context, as the investigation appears linked to a referral from the National Archives about record-keeping and the former president:
by Jenna Lee,
