Donald Trump has announced he will file a legal motion in response to the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago, alleging his Fourth Amendment rights have been violated.
In a series of posts on Truth Social this Friday, the former president condemned the raid on his Florida home after law enforcement seized 10 boxes of classified files Trump allegedly took after leaving office.
“Never in the history of our country has there been a time when law enforcement has been so viciously and violently involved in the life and times of our nation’s politics,” Trump wrote.
“A major Fourth Amendment motion will be filed shortly regarding the illegal break-in of my home, Mar-a-Lago, just before the increasingly important midterm election.
“My rights, along with the rights of all Americans, have been violated on a scale rarely seen before in our country,” he added.
It’s the latest in Trump’s battle with the FBI, as former running mate Mike Pence said he didn’t remove classified material after serving as vice president.
Donald Trump said he will file a legal motion alleging that his Fourth Amendment rights were violated when the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8
The president made the announcement on Truth Social, calling the raid a “witch hunt.”
Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence (centre) said he had not removed classified material after serving his term
Two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News’ Robert Costa that Trump’s application would be filed in the coming days and would seek the appointment of a “special master” who would review and return evidence collected by the FBI on Aug. 8.
The Fourth Amendment stipulates that a search of a person’s home is not legal unless there is good cause.
A federal judge, assisted by US Attorney Merrick Garland, signed a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago. Portions of the affidavit are expected to be released next week.
The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell added that multiple sources told him the new application would be filed in part because of Trump attorney Christina Bobb’s disastrous interview with Fox’s Laura Ingraham.
In Thursday’s interview, Bobb failed to inspire confidence about how securely Trump kept the confiscated files, saying they were behind a locked door in a poolside basement.
“Only certain employees can get there, and then there’s only one key,” Bobb said, although classified files usually have to be kept in a facility known as the Confidential Division of Information (SCIF).
Ingraham also chided Bobb for not petitioning to have the affidavit unsealed, which sources say Lowell had made [Trump] looking bad.’
As the former president battles allegations that he took classified White House material, Pence is trying to distance himself from his former running mate.
Pence attended the Iowa State Fair and said the FBI and DOJ must be completely transparent about the raid and the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago
During the raid, 10 boxes of materials were removed from Mar-a-Lago; above is a member of the Secret Service at Trump’s Florida home
Pence, who was asked directly if he kept classified information after leaving office, told The Associated Press in an interview: “No, not to my knowledge.”
Despite including material marked “top secret” in the government’s list of items recovered from Mar-a-Lago, Pence said: “I honestly don’t want to spoil it until we have all the facts.”
Speaking further about the Mar-a-Lago raid, the former vice president continued to raise the possibility that the investigation was politically motivated and urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to disclose more details about what authorities are doing to conduct the ordered a search.
“The concern felt by millions of Americans will only be resolved with daylight,” Pence said Friday. “I know that’s not usual in investigations. But this is an unprecedented action by the Justice Department and I think it deserves unprecedented transparency.’
In his Friday posts, Trump again described the FBI and Justice Department investigation into him as a “witch hunt” that began the moment he announced he was running for president.
Trump expressed frustration with the raid, calling it a policy that is destroying the US
“When will people realize that the atrocities committed by the FBI and DOJ have to do with the raid and burglary at my home, Mar-a-Lago, or after years of other atrocities and unthinkable violations of liberty and the law?” Trump wrote.
It’s been like this for years, from the moment I walked down the golden escalators in Trump Tower to now.
“And nothing like what’s going on in our country right now has never happened,” he added.
“Our country’s law enforcement has become that of a third world nation and I don’t think people will stand for it – between fraudulent elections, open borders, inflation, surrendering our military to the enemy and so much more – how much.” is expected of all of us?’