by Viviana Mazza
The Attorney General: “Now the mandate for the raid has been released.” Meanwhile, Trump’s entourage is being searched for the mole
After three days of silence, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland yesterday asked the Florida Southern District Court to release the search warrant on Donald Trump’s home, which various media outlets are trying to gain access to. An unusual choice – these documents usually remain confidential – but Garland emphasized that Trump himself was the first to speak out and that there was “significant public interest”.
In a short and measured speech, without answering questions but looking viewers straight in the eye, Garland attempted to respond to Trump’s allegations with transparency. He said he personally authorized the search and “did not take the decision lightly” as his department prefers “less intrusive methods”. Republicans have called the “mar-a-lago raid” a political action against Trump, while the White House spokesman said the current president heard the news from the media as it should: “Biden got that from First of all, the Department of Justice must conduct its investigations independently.” Garland affirmed the principle of impartial application of the law, stating that “upholding the rule of law is the fundamental principle of the Department of Justice and our democracy.” He concluded by praising his officials and those of the FBI, “patriots” who defend the country at “the cost of enormous personal sacrifice” and who do not deserve baseless accusations and death threats.
The American media reconstructed the various steps taken by investigators before embarking on an unprecedented search of a former US President’s home. It was triggered by the belief that there were classified documents at Mar-a-Lago that Trump had not yet delivered, “sensitive” on national security grounds, according to the New York Times. By January, officials at the National Archives (the National Archives where by law all records of each presidency must be placed) had already seized 15 boxes of materials, including classified ones, from the White House. In the spring, the Justice Department ordered the release of papers it believed had not been returned.
Jay Bratt, the department’s head of counterintelligence, showed up at the residence in June with a search warrant. The former president stopped to say hello and made sure he didn’t have any top-secret papers. But according to Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal, at least one informant close to him reported to the FBI that the ex-president was lying. His identity and what evidence he offered is not known. Among those being questioned by investigators are Molly Michael, Trump’s assistant in the Oval Office and then Mar-a-Lago, and Derek Lyons, former secretary until December 18, 2020. Garland pointed out that Trump already has a copy of the warrant and the list of what was confiscated), the tycoon may object to disclosure, but the decision rests with the court.
August 11, 2022 (Modification August 12, 2022 | 00:24)
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