Eric Trump claimed that FBI agents failed to turn over Mar-a-Lago’s search warrant and kicked off an attorney from the property. This is a sharp account of Monday’s operation on the Florida estate.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, the former president’s son said the 30 agents who arrived at the property asked staff to turn security cameras off – but they refused.
He claimed that the bureau also had safe crackers to open his father’s safe. Then he attacked investigators for looking through Melania, former first lady,’s closet and searching her clothes.
He called the raid a coordinated attack against his father Donald Trump, and maintained that President Joe Biden had not been kept informed about the search.
This is the latest shocking account. The Department of Justice faces increasing pressure to justify the search.
Eric stated that Christina Bobb his father’s lawyer was required to remain at the Mar-a-Lago drive end throughout the raid.
He said that there were 30 agents present during the Monday search. ‘They told our lawyer… you have to leave the property right now. All security cameras must be turned off.
He said that they wouldn’t give the warrant to her. “So, they showed it to me from approximately 10 feet away. She was not allowed to see the copy of their search warrant.
In an exclusive interview, Eric Trump recounted what happened at Mar-a-Lago on Monday in a DailyMail.com interview
Eric claimed that Christina Bobb, a lawyer was made to wait on the driveway at the end of the drive during the search. Pictured: An entrance to the former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is seen by Armed Secret Service Agents, Palm Beach, Florida.
Bobb stated that Bobb wasn’t sure why Bobb couldn’t see or obtain a copy the search warrant from a lawyer who was representing Bobb during the raid of his house by the FBI.
Eric stated that he’d be thrilled to learn if there were valid warrants for searching.
The son of the former President added that it was all part of a coordinated attack by the FBI.
Do you think the FBI director will raid the home of the ex-president, especially one as well as a world as renowned and Mar Lago? And all this without President Obama’s approval? [Biden]?’ Eric questioned.
Below is a timeline that highlights some of Trump’s fights with National Archives after he left office. This includes an unrelated court battle with the January 6, committee.
‘Biden KNEW… just as Hunter’s deals’ were all his. Trump claimed that he knew of Mar-a-Lago raid. He calls it a coordinated attack against ‘Radical Left Democrat AGS’ – as DOJ faces pressure to act
Trump, the former president of the United States, claimed Tuesday that Joe Biden had known in advance about Mar-a-Lago’s FBI raid. The White House denied this claim.
“Biden knew everything about it, like Hunter knew about Hunter’s “deals”, the former president posted on his Truth Social site.
Although Hunter Biden has been accused of being involved with foreign business transactions, the President denies that he was.
Trump also claimed that Mar-a-Lago’s raid was part of his politically-motivated investigations.
He said, “A horrific thing took place yesterday in Mar-a-Lago,” “We’re no worse than third-world countries, like a banana republic.”
He said, “It is the continuation of Russia. Russia. Russia. Impeachment Hoax #1. Impeachment Hoax #2. The no collusion Mueller Report. and more.”
‘To make matters worse it is all, in my opinion, a coordinated attack with Radical Left Democrat state & local D.A.’s & A.G.’s,’ the former president added.
On Monday, Trump confirmed that FBI agents had raided Mar-a-Lago, after media reports said agents were spotted leaving the ex-president’s Florida home and private club.
The raid is the first of its kind in U.S history.
Numerous public officials demanded an explanation.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated Tuesday night, “The country needs a complete and urgent explanation of the circumstances that led to Monday’s events.” “Attorney General Garland, and the Department of Justice must have already provided answers to American citizens and they should do so now.”
Trump, the former president of the United States, claimed Tuesday that Joe Biden had known in advance about Mar-a-Lago’s FBI raid. The White House denied this claim.
Biden was aware of all this just as Hunter was. The ex-president shared his Truth Social blog.
Hunter Biden (left), and President Joe Biden, (right), pose for a photograph in 2016. Trump claimed that the president knew about the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago in advance, just like he knew about Hunter’s ‘deals.’ Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals are controversial
McConnell had previously declined to comment on the raid after a dispute with Trump about the former president’s false election fraud allegations. McConnell took just 24 hours for a response.
Trump confirmed the raid in a statement Monday evening, saying the move represented ‘dark times for our Nation,’ pushing that the Biden administration was going after him as a political target.
Trump may run for the presidency in 2024.
Many media outlets claimed that Trump’s raid was the result of an investigation into Trump’s removal of classified documents from his White House, and not the Department of Justice’s ongoing probe into January 6th. This is partially focused on Trump.
On January 6, the House select committee is investigating Trump’s January 6 Capitol attack.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday evening that 10 boxes of documents were taken away by FBI agents during the raid. The FBI had previously retrieved over a dozen boxes from the Florida resort.
In New York and Georgia, there are also potential legal challenges for the former president.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wilis, Georgia, is currently investigating the plot to assassinate the state’s presidential election results in 2020.
Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney in New York is also available Investigating whether Trump companies may have misrepresented properties’ value for tax or loan purposes.
Eric Trump leaves Trump Tower on the same day that his father, ex-President Donald Trump, claimed FBI agents had raided his Mar-a-Lago residence. According to several news sources, the raid was for the purpose of removing classified material from White House.
Additionally in New York, Letitia James, the New York state attorney general, is conducting a civil investigation into whether Trump’s company inflated real estate values.
Trump stated Tuesday morning in campaign video that the United States has armed its law enforcement against opposing parties as never before.
He said, in Tuesday’s third Truth Social post, that “What occurred yesterday” and was a new infringement on the rights all American citizens.
The Radical Left Democrats are committing scam after scam year after year. They have no shame. Our Country is being charged a high price !!!’ He added.
However, the White House insists that its hands are clean.
Karine Jean Pierre, the press secretary for Biden’s campaign said Tuesday that Biden was not briefed in advance of Monday’s raid.
According to her, the president had not been aware.
Jean-Pierre stated that no one in the White House received a heads up.
Numerous Trump allies called for Attorney General Merrick Galrland to publicly address the raid.
He has not commented so far.
When asked by the Justice Department if Garland authorized the search, they declined to comment.
Eric stated that they witnessed the FBI raiding property areas they did not want to.
Donald Trump lamented Wednesday’s FBI blocking his lawyers access to his Palm Beach, Florida property.
Trump announced Tuesday night on an alternative social media platform that he would be interrogated Wednesday as part of a civil investigation by the New York Attorney General into the family’s real-estate business.
One of the many probes that former President is now facing is in New York. Another is the one that led Monday to the raid. It involved the reported removal from White House of documents when he was out of office.
Trump shared the following statement on Wednesday morning: “The FBI, along with other Federal Government employees, would not permit anyone (including my lawyers) to go anywhere near these areas during the raid of Mar-a-Lago.”
He continued, doubting that the raid was properly conducted, saying, “Everyone was asked leave the premises.
Trump (76) asked: “Why do they insist that nobody watch them and everyone out?” Obama and Clinton never had to be ‘raided’, despite huge disputes.
Christina Bobb (Trump lawyer) said Tuesday that the raid had been a weirdflex’. She reiterated Trump’s doubts that the RBI may have planted anything during the search.
The 37-year old lawyer stated that there was no way to be certain that an item wasn’t planted. I’m not saying they did.
“This was an entirely unnecessary power flex. Bobb agreed that this was an unusual flex. “It is quite sad to see the damage they did to our country,” Bobb said.
Even though Palm Beach reached an unseasonably hot 91°F with high humidity, Trump’s legal team was left out near a park lot. The raiders were not allowed into the air-conditioned building.
Former President seen arriving at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Tuesday night.
The raid on his Florida home the previous day saw investigators ransack his office for several hours – and even included a search through former first lady Melania Trump’s wardrobe.
Trump continued his fury Tuesday over the raid, believed to have been to retrieve documents the former President took with him when he fled the White House.
The law requires that all correspondence from the president and any documentation be given to National Archives. Since February, it is clear that Trump has not followed this requirement. Some documents were returned by the National Archives to begin this year. But not all.
FBI agents were in the 128-room Florida estate Monday for nine hours, while 30 agents walked the entire 3,300-square-foot private quarters.
They searched Melania Trump’s master bedroom, also known as Versailles Room.
They did not find any explanation for their search through Melania’s clothes in the newspaper.
According to the newspaper, agents searched another office, a safe and locked basement storage area in which were kept 15 boxes of White House material.
Analysts said that the Justice Department had not yet commented on the raid.
According to sources, Trump’s lawyers, including Evan Corcoran were cooperating with federal authorities in order to return the documents. The process began May 2021, when some missing records were discovered.
In January 2022 some documents were returned and the information became publicly available in February.
Early June saw four DOJ top officials travel to Mar-a-Lago, to discuss the documents with the ex-president.
According to reports, Jay Bratt, chief of the DOJ’s export control and counterintelligence section, was among those who met with Trump’s lawyers.
Trump’s team revealed to the government officials that Trump had hidden documents in his basement. According to reports, investigators found that certain files were classified.
CNN reported that former President Obama stopped by CNN’s office to say hello, and then left.
After the visit of the investigators, the letter was reportedly written by them asking Trump’s staff to lock down the space where they saw the documents stored.
CNN reports that the area was then surrounded by security guards.
It’s not known what took place between June 2006 and the present week that led to the FBI claiming the documents.
DailyMail.com heard from a former FBI agent, that Monday’s raid likely resulted in new information coming from an informant and the end of cooperation between the agency & former President.
Michael Tabman (retired FBI Special Agent-in-Charge), who worked for the agency for over 24 years, stated that an operation of such sensitive nature would require Attorney General Merrick Garland’s approval.
Tabman added that “I believe somebody gave them information informing them that these documents were there,” and also mentioned two hypothetical revelations from ‘insiders’: “You haven’t been informed the truth about how they exist.” They are not yours unless they come to you.
‘I think there was inside information – call it an informant if you want,’ he told DailyMail.com. “I believe someone or something was told to them, and that was enough to make it seem like they were going to the right place at the right time.
Tabman said that there had been cooperation between Trump’s FBI and their agency at times, but the FBI may have sensed that Trump’s team was ‘telling them what they want with very limited information’.
Tabman stated that the FBI follows a protocol to seize information when they are unable to get it “voluntarily”.
Tabman explained, ‘You know that everything could disappear. You have the evidence to prove it, or before it disappears and it moves so you don’t know what it is.
The FBI must prove probable cause, conduct the raid in a timely fashion and obtain a warrant to search for the suspect. Tabman stated that agents cannot just “poke around” someone’s house in such a case.
He also claimed the FBI could have gotten the sense that Trump was just no longer being ‘fully cooperative’ with the investigation – leading them to see the raid approval.
Tabman indicated that, while the protocol for the raid appears to have been followed, this is still a unique move because the FBI has never before raided the homes of former presidents.
Tabman observed, “I cannot think of this ever having happened to any former president.”
The retired FBI special agent said, “I don’t think there were any protocols broken in any manner.” “They had to have clearly established probable cause.”
When the FBI raided Trump Tower, Florida, his Florida home was visited by ex-president Donald Trump. Fox News reported that Eric Trump informed his father about the raid.
Trump and his associates quickly tried to portray the search as weaponization of criminal justice and a Democratic-driven effort in order to prevent him from being elected again to the presidency in 2024. However, the Biden White House stated that it did not know about the search and Christopher Wray is the current FBI Director. Trump appointed Wray five years ago.
Eric lamented that the FBI searched areas of the property that they ‘shouldn’t have been’, and slammed the agents for rummaging through former first lady Melania Trump’s wardrobe. Melania was last seen at Donald’s Manhattan funeral for his first wife Ivana on July 20, 2017.
Trump disclosed the search late Monday in a lengthy statement. He stated that agents had entered his house to open a safe. Trump also described their actions as an unannounced raid that he contrasted with ‘prosecutorial misconduct.
“These are difficult times for the Nation as my lovely home, Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida is currently under siege and raided by a large number of FBI agents,” Trump stated through his Save America PAC.
“I was a strong opponent of America’s corruption bureaucratic system, restored power to the people and delivered for America like never before.
“The establishment loathed it.
They are now trying to stop me (and the Republican Party) once again as my endorsed candidate wins big victories.
“The Witch Hunt, Lawlessness and Political Persecutory must all be stopped.”
Michael Tabman, a retired FBI Special Agent, said that it is likely that an “informant” provided information to FBI which led to Trump’s raid at his home Monday
Dena Iverson, spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment about the search or whether Garland personally authorized it.
Karine Jean Pierre, White House Press Secretary, stated that the West Wing was first informed of the search by public media reports. The White House wasn’t briefed during the preparations or afterward.
She stated that the Justice Department is responsible for conducting investigations and she leaves all law enforcement issues to them. We are not involved.
At midmorning on Tuesday, about two dozen Trump supporters protested the Florida heat and occasional light rain that had fallen onto a bridge close to the ex-president’s home. The sign that one held read “Democrats are Fascists”, while the others had flags that said “2020 Was Rigged”, ‘Trump2024″, and Biden’s name in obscenity. As cars passed by, many honked their support.
Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence stated Tuesday that he was worried about the FBI raid. This despite their ongoing 20-month relationship.
Pence tweet Tuesday afternoon: “I share the deep concern that millions of Americans have over the unprecedented search at President Trump’s personal residence.” The NSA raid on Trump’s personal home was the first in American history.
Senator Republican Leader Mitch McConnell agreed with Pence and said: “Attorney General Garland, and the Department of Justice must already have given answers to American citizens and should do so immediately.”
Nancy Pelosi D-Calif. said that Donald Trump appointed the FBI director. She was responding to GOP accusations that the raid had revealed politicization within the Justice Department. When she was asked what the raid meant, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., replied that Trump had appointed FBI director.
Trump met late Tuesday night at his Bedminster club, New Jersey with members from the Republican Study Committee. This group is headed by Rep. Jim Banks, Indiana and says that it’s committed to his priority in Congress.
The FBI reached out immediately to the Secret Service before issuing a warrant. A third source familiar with the matter said that The Associated Press was informed by a person who knew the situation. According to the source, Secret Service agents called the Justice Department in order to validate the warrant. This allowed them to facilitate access to the estate.
Since Mar-a-Lago gave it 15 boxes of White House records earlier in the year, the National Archives and Records Administration stated that they had received them from Mar-a-Lago. The documents included classified information. This led to the Justice Department investigating possible mishandling. After Trump left office, the National Archives stated that Trump should have given this material to them and asked for an investigation by the Justice Department.
Bobb stated in Tuesday’s interview to Real America’s Voice that they are ‘looking at classified information they believe should not be removed from the White House as well as records of Presidents’.
Multiple federal laws govern the handling classified and sensitive documents. Some statutes make it illegal to take such information out and keep it in an unauthorised location. Although a search warrant doesn’t necessarily indicate criminal charges will be forthcoming or expected, it does mean that federal officials seeking one must show to the judge probable cause for a crime to have occurred.
According to two people who are familiar with the case, they spoke on condition that their identities not be disclosed. They said Monday’s search was connected to the records probe. The agents were also trying to determine if Trump held any additional Presidential records or classified documents.
Trump previously claimed that the presidential records had been turned over “in an ordinary, routine process.” Eric, his son, stated on Fox News Monday night that he spent Monday with his dad and that the National Archives was trying to verify whether Donald Trump has any documents.
Trump, himself in a Monday evening social media post, called the search an “Weaponization Of The Justice System” and an attack on Radical Left Democrats who are desperate not want me to run in the 2024 Presidential Election.
Trump took a different position in 2016. He repeatedly pointed out an FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s Democratic opponent. This probe was looking at whether Clinton had mishandled classified documents via her private email server as secretary of states. James Comey, then-Director of the FBI, concluded that Clinton had received and sent classified information. However, the FBI didn’t recommend any criminal charges.
Trump attacked the FBI’s decision. He then continued his attacks on the FBI, as agents investigated whether Trump campaign was conspiring with Russia to win the 2016 election. He fired Comey as part of that probe and appointed Wray months later. However, Trump continued his criticisms of him as President.
Trump faces many legal problems, not just the probe. In Washington, another investigation has been intensifying related to Trump’s efforts to reverse the outcome of his 2020 presidential election. This led to the January 6, 2021 riot at Capitol. Grand jury subpoenas were issued to several ex-White House officials.
Fulton County District Attorney in Georgia is looking into whether Trump’s close friends tried to interfere with the state election that was won by Joe Biden.