In a document fairly presented in a courtroom on Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said documents at former US President Donald Trump’s Florida residence were “possibly concealed” to thwart a possible FBI investigation into the mismanagement of classified information.
The document provides the most detailed account yet of the motivation for this month’s FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, triggered by a review of files the former president had previously handed over to officials containing Confidential Information.
Prior to the operation, the FBI discovered “multiple sources of evidence” that “secret documents” remained in Mar-a-Lago, according to the document.
“The government also gathered evidence that government files were most likely withheld and removed, and an effort to thwart the government’s investigation,” the DoJ document said.
The ministry said it provided detailed background on the development of the operation “to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative presented in (Trump’s) documents”.
The DoJ publication is responding to a request made by Trump last week for an independent investigation to review files obtained by the FBI on potentially privileged material.
Image: REUTERS/Marco Bello
An independent investigation could hinder authorities’ investigation and access to documents, especially if the court accepts Trump’s allegations.
The DoJ document argues that the court should not convene an independent party because “the files do not belong to Trump”, meaning it “is unnecessary and significantly harms important government interests, including national security.”
source: Noticias
