A document issued by the Department of Justice said, on Tuesday, that documents seized from the residence of former US President Donald Trump in Florida are “likely to be withheld” to obstruct the investigation against him.
This procedural document explains in the most detailed way to date the reasons why the US Federal Police (FBI) searched the former president’s home on August 8 to retrieve top-class documents he did not return after leaving the White House, despite multiple requests.
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Prior to the operation, the FBI released “multiple sources of evidence” showing that “secret documents” remain at Mr Trump’s sprawling Mar-a-Lago residence, the document says.
“The government also has evidence that government documents may have been withheld and removed… and that actions were likely taken to impede its investigation,” she added.
The Department of Justice says it clarified the process that led to the raid, in order to “correct the incomplete and inaccurate account provided in Mr. Trump’s statements.”
The department’s statement came in response to a request made last week by Mr. Trump, who feels he is being persecuted by the government, for independent third-party review documents from his home by the FBI.
The document asserts that naming this third party can prevent investigators from accessing the documents, and justice should not do so “because these (seized) documents do not belong to Mr. Trump.” He stressed that such an appointment “is not necessary and would seriously undermine the interests of the government, including with regard to national security.”
According to the Department of Justice, some of the documents seized on August 8 were marked with “HCS,” which in the language of the US intelligence community refers to information provided by “human sources,” informants and other covert agents.
Investigators suspect that the Republican violated the US Espionage Act, which strictly regulates the possession of classified documents. Donald Trump assures him that these documents have been declassified.
The Republican, who is flirting with the idea of running for the presidential election of 2024, denounces the “witch hunt” led by the administration of his successor Joe Biden, and believes that justice “will never have to authorize this forced entry” into his home.
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