Overview
- Internal messages from the FBI’s Washington Field Office state agents did not believe they had established probable cause to seek a Mar-a-Lago warrant for classified records.
- Emails show Justice Department attorneys concluded the draft affidavits met the standard, sought a broad scope, and the warrant was approved by a magistrate before the Aug. 8, 2022 search.
- Agents urged less-intrusive options and flagged thin, single-source, and dated leads, with one noting repeated drafts without new facts and another warning a raid could be counterproductive.
- Planning documents referenced a low-key execution and included standard DOJ policy language on use of deadly force, guidance on concealed gear, and seizure objectives for classified-marked materials.
- Materials seized fed Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2023 charges, later dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon on appointment grounds, and the new disclosures have triggered renewed congressional scrutiny and partisan reactions.