Status: 08/11/2022 10:22 p.m
Was the US Department of Justice involved in the crackdown on ex-President Trump? Yes, it was, Minister Garland confirmed at a press conference scheduled at short notice. At the same time he condemned attacks on the FBI.
US Attorney General and chief prosecutor Merrick Garland said he “personally approved” the FBI raid on ex-President Donald Trump’s Florida mansion. There was a “reasonable reason” for the historically unique action against a former US president, Garland told journalists.
The search of Trump’s private residence Mar-a-Lago had been heavily criticized by leading Republican representatives. Garland said his House — which is both the Justice Department and the nation’s top law enforcement agency — “doesn’t take such a decision lightly.” Wherever possible, “we are looking for less intrusive means as an alternative to a search,” Garland said. Each search is strictly limited.
The federal police FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in the US state of Florida last Monday. The FBI did not give a reason for this. According to media reports, these are documents that Trump took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago after the end of his presidency in January 2021, although by law he should have handed over all documents to the National Archives.
Minister wants to have search warrant published
Garland said he could not comment on the details of the search. However, given the public interest and Trump’s confirmation of the incident, his department has petitioned a federal court to release the search warrant and receipt for any items seized. Garland stressed, “All Americans have the right to equitable application of the law, due process, and the presumption of innocence.”
The raid on a former president is considered unprecedented in US history. The pressure on Garland had since grown to take a stand. In his statement, he also condemned “unfounded attacks” on the FBI that occurred after the search. FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke on Wednesday about threats against the FBI in connection with the raid on Trump’s mansion and described them as “reprehensible and dangerous”.