(CNN) Donald Trump's search of Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida has led authorities to say the former president was familiar with the matter. Officials said his team had not returned all documents and other materials that belonged to the government.
Authorities believed the Mar-a-Lago documents had national security implications, according to sources.
There were also suspicions that Trump's representatives were not telling the full truth to investigators after months of debate on the matter, sources said. 18}
Before FBI agents arrived at Trump's private club on Monday to search his residence, two sources familiar with the matter said people around the former president , was under the impression that the investigation into how he handled classified information had stalled. with thoughts.
After the National Archives referred the case to the Justice Department earlier this year, there has been much debate for months about how Trump handled the materials he brought with him as he left the White House. Investigators were looking into it. It's unclear why those around the former president believed the investigation was stalled, but in June his attorney told investigators he had "the rest of the documents in his possession." Concerns arose after the former president returned some 15 boxes of materials to the National Archives, a source told CNN. .
On Monday, federal agents removed boxes of materials from the Palm Beach property.
The Secret Service was ready about an hour before the FBI executed the warrant, a source familiar with the situation told CNN. The Secret Service verified the search warrant and met with the FBI agents when they arrived and confirmed they had unrestricted access, but the Secret Service agent himself did not help with the search, sources said. rice field.
The property's oldest Secret Service representative served as the point of contact.
Mr Trump denies all wrongdoing, claiming the investigation was a politically motivated sham and intended to derail any possible return to the White House.
"The Justice Department has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization," McCarthy said, telling Attorney General Merrick Garland to "save the documents and empty the calendar."
House Republicans briefly discussed the FBI investigation on Tuesday's conference call, multiple sources told CNN.
