Donald Trump Says FBI Searched His Mar-a-Lago Estate
Donald Trump said on Monday that the FBI conducted a search of his home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla.
According to the New York Times, two people familiar with the matter said the search seemed to be focused on classified documents that Trump brought with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House. The Associated Press reports that the Justice Department had been investigating if Trump still had records in his possession after the National Archives and Records Administration said it found 15 boxes of classified material at the estate.
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The former president also issued a statement about the search, calling it a “raid” and comparing the situation to Watergate.
“After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” Trump wrote in the statement, according to the Times. “They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.”
The FBI’s search comes as the House of Representatives continues to investigate the events of Jan. 6, when the Capitol was attacked while Congress counted electoral college votes to solidify the victory of President Joe Biden. Trump’s role in the attack has been the center of much discussion during the hearings, with many of his closest advisers testifying.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment. According to the Associated Press, a DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the situation.
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