Status: 08/24/2022 00:12 a.m
In January, former US President Trump had to hand over 15 boxes of confidential documents to the National Archives. Months later, the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate for more secret documents.
Months before the search of former US President Donald Trump’s home, he had to hand over more than 700 pages of confidential documents to the US National Archives. That shows a letter of the archive to Trump’s attorney Evan Corcoran on May 10, which the “New York Times” has now published.
The National Archives have had ongoing discussions with Trump officials in 2021 about allegedly missing classified documents, which led to the handover of 15 boxes of material in January, archivist Debra Steidel Wall writes in the letter.
delays in testing
In an initial review, the National Archives found documents containing confidential national security information, including those marked “Top Secret,” Wall said. The government needed to make an assessment of the potential harm resulting from the apparent manner in which these materials were stored and transported.
The letter reveals that Trump’s attorneys had requested time to find out if and how many documents were protected by his powers as president. Investigations by the FBI, the Department of Justice and secret services were delayed as a result.
Search two weeks ago
Two weeks ago, the FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and seized other documents, some of which were classified. Trump said he released the documents from his time as US President himself. There was a permanent instruction for all documents that he brought home.
US law prohibits the taking and storage of classified documents in unauthorized locations. Improper handling of confidential files is also considered a misdemeanor. Incumbent Presidents have broad powers to break secrecy. However, a formal procedure with several steps is necessary for the release of documents.
Trump’s lawyers are filing a lawsuit
It was only on Monday that the New York Times reported that authorities had removed more than 300 confidential files from Mar-a-Lago since Trump left office in January 2021.
Trump announced on Monday that he wanted to stop the FBI from examining the documents. Instead, a “neutral expert” should see the documents, according to a complaint filed by Trump’s lawyers. At the same time, the examination by the state investigators should be stopped by then.