House Republicans and allies of former President Donald Trump erupted in anger late Monday after he disclosed the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida, with the House GOP leader pledging to investigate the Justice Department if Republicans win control of the House in the midterm elections in November.
Following Trump’s disclosure that FBI agents “raid[ed]” his club, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted that Attorney General Merrick Garland should “preserve your records and clear your schedule.”
McCarthy remarked, “The Department of Justice has reached an untenable level of weaponized partisanship.” When the Republicans regain control of the House, we will undertake swift scrutiny of this agency, based on the facts, leaving no stone unturned. According to sources speaking to CBS News, the search by the FBI is related to a probe by the Justice Department into allegations by the National Archives and Papers Administration that it seized 15 boxes of records containing classified information from Mar-a-Lago in mid-January.
The National Archives asked the Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records earlier this year, and the agency reported to a House committee in February that it had discovered “items marked as classified national security information” within the boxes it retrieved, and that staff had been “in communication with the Department of Justice.”
At the time of the Archives’ referral, the former president said that he had participated in “collaborative and polite talks” with the agency over the boxes of presidential materials, and that his cooperation was intended to “help preserve the Trump legacy.”
McCarthy and other House Republicans swiftly accused the Justice Department of launching a politically motivated campaign on President Biden’s probable opponent in 2024 in response to the execution of the search warrant by the FBI, a first-of-its-kind action against a former president.
The White House under Mr. Biden has gone to tremendous measures to minimize his and senior staff’ communications with high-ranking Justice Department officials discussing sensitive investigations. A senior White House official told CBS News that the West Wing was not informed about the search of Trump’s residence by the FBI.
Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan told Fox News that the search was “unbelievable” and that FBI Director Chris Wray and Garland should appear before the House about the conduct.
“Why don’t Chris Wray and Merrick Garland address our questions this coming Friday?” he said. “Come answer our questions before the House Judiciary Committee if it is so vital to go after President Trump in an unprecedented manner.”
On Friday, the House will return from its summer holiday to vote on the Democrats’ $740 billion climate, tax, and health plan.
Rep. Mike Turner, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, issued Wray a letter on Monday requesting a briefing on the search’s grounds.
“This is an unparalleled step in the history of our nation. As the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House, I am unaware of any real or suspected danger to national security presented by any information, data, or documents in the hands of former President Trump “He composed. “You owe Congress prompt explanations for the activities you directed.”
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also blasted the Justice Department’s and FBI’s “apparent political weaponization” and said that executing a search warrant against a former president is “hazardous.”
“AG must explain why 250 years of practice were thrown out with one raid,” he said on Twitter.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, described the FBI’s investigation as “very disturbing.”
“We need answers NOW. The FBI must explain what they did and why they did it today “He sent a tweet.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina responded with a more measured tone, stating on “CBS Mornings” that “we need to let this play out and see what happens,” adding that “we should have been amazed, horrified, and appalled by yesterday’s events.”
According to sources speaking to CBS News, the search by the FBI is related to a probe by the Justice Department into allegations by the National Archives and Papers Administration that it seized 15 boxes of records containing classified information from Mar-a-Lago in mid-January.
The National Archives asked the Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records earlier this year, and the agency reported to a House committee in February that it had discovered “items marked as classified national security information” within the boxes it retrieved, and that staff had been “in communication with the Department of Justice.”
At the time of the Archives’ referral, the former president said that he had participated in “collaborative and polite talks” with the agency over the boxes of presidential materials, and that his cooperation was intended to “help preserve the Trump legacy.”
McCarthy and other House Republicans swiftly accused the Justice Department of launching a politically motivated campaign on President Biden’s probable opponent in 2024 in response to the execution of the search warrant by the FBI, a first-of-its-kind action against a former president.
The White House under Mr. Biden has gone to tremendous measures to minimize his and senior staff’ communications with high-ranking Justice Department officials discussing sensitive investigations. A senior White House official told CBS News that the West Wing was not informed about the search of Trump’s residence by the FBI.
Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan told Fox News that the search was “unbelievable” and that FBI Director Chris Wray and Garland should appear before the House about the conduct.
“Why don’t Chris Wray and Merrick Garland address our questions this coming Friday?” he said. “Come answer our questions before the House Judiciary Committee if it is so vital to go after President Trump in an unprecedented manner.”
On Friday, the House will return from its summer holiday to vote on the Democrats’ $740 billion climate, tax, and health plan.
Rep. Mike Turner, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, issued Wray a letter on Monday requesting a briefing on the search’s grounds.
“This is an unparalleled step in the history of our nation. As the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House, I am unaware of any real or suspected danger to national security presented by any information, data, or documents in the hands of former President Trump “He composed. “You owe Congress prompt explanations for the activities you directed.”
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also blasted the Justice Department’s and FBI’s “apparent political weaponization” and said that executing a search warrant against a former president is “hazardous.”
“AG must explain why 250 years of practice were thrown out with one raid,” he said on Twitter.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, described the FBI’s investigation as “very disturbing.”
“We need answers NOW. The FBI must explain what they did and why they did it today “He sent a tweet.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina responded with a more measured tone, stating on “CBS Mornings” that “we need to let this play out and see what happens,” adding that “we should have been amazed, horrified, and appalled by yesterday’s events.”