A few days ago, Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was searched by FBI officials. US Attorney General Merrick Garland, against whom criticism was directed, now takes a position.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has personally endorsed the decision to seek a search warrant on former US President Donald Trump’s home. That’s what Garland said in a short-term speech in Washington. “The search warrant was granted by a federal court following the required determination of reasonable suspicion.”
Garland added, “The Department does not take such a decision lightly. Wherever possible, less intrusive means will be sought as an alternative to a search, and any search will be strictly limited.” The federal police FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in the US state of Florida last Monday.
The process is considered unprecedented in US history. The pressure on Garland had since grown to take a stand. Trump was not at his home during the search. He and other Republicans have criticized the search and accused Democratic US President Joe Biden of politicizing the FBI.
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.”
Garland: Don’t question the FBI’s professionalism
Garland warned against questioning the professionalism of his staff. “I would like to address the recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism of FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors: I will not stand by while their integrity is unfairly attacked,” he said.
The men and women of the FBI and Justice Department are “dedicated patriotic public servants” who protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism and other threats every day. “They do so at great personal sacrifice and risk to themselves,” Garland said.
After the Trump raid, law enforcement officials were sometimes heavily criticized. Concerns about violent attacks also grew. “Violence against law enforcement is not a solution no matter what or who someone is angry about,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska.
A gunman tried to break into an FBI field office in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday. When the police confronted him, he fled, the FBI said. Nothing was initially known about the man’s motives.
Trump’s handling of documents is in question
The background to the search in Florida was apparently Trump’s handling of documents from his tenure. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the National Archives, which is responsible for storing presidential correspondence, suspected several boxes of confidential material were in Mar-a-Lago. Trump finally handed over several documents to the agency in January.
According to US media reports, there was then a further exchange between investigators and Trump’s lawyers. Officials suspected that Trump or his team were continuing to withhold important documents, the Washington Post wrote, citing anonymous sources. The FBI is said to have taken twelve boxes.
Ex-President refuses to testify under oath for hours
When questioned under oath by New York Attorney General Letitia James, Trump repeatedly refused to testify for hours. “Just leaving the Attorney General’s office – a very professional meeting,” Trump wrote on the social network he co-founded, Truth Social.
The “New York Times”, citing Trump’s lawyer Ronald Fischetti, wrote that the 76-year-old ex-president only answered one question over four hours – namely his name.
Trump: “Destruction of my person”
The newspaper reported that Trump issued a statement for the record in which he called the investigation into his business practices a continuation of “the largest witch hunt in our country’s history.” He accused James of having openly advertised “a policy of destroying my person” during the election campaign. Trump then exercised his constitutional right to refuse to answer if he could incriminate himself. After the survey began, he always responded with the words “same answer”.
The New York Times wrote that the meeting lasted from 9:30 a.m. to around 3 p.m. (local time) with breaks. The actual questioning lasted about four hours with some interruptions. Democrat James has been leading civil investigations into Republican Trump’s corporate empire for years. According to James, Trump and the Trump Organization are said to have increased or decreased their finances as needed, for example to get easier access to loans or to pay less taxes. Trump’s company rejects this.
Trump wrote that he had “an amazing company with great assets, very little debt and lots of cash. Only in America!” The New York interrogation came two days after his Mar-a-Lago home was searched.