Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

FBI cites 'evidence of obstruction' in Trump Florida home search

FBI cites 'evidence of obstruction' in Trump Florida home search

The FBI told a judge they expected to find "evidence of obstruction" of justice in a search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home, according to newly released court papers.
Investigators said top secret files had been stored at Mar-a-Lago along with assorted newspapers and magazines.

The Justice Department said it censored the affidavit to protect "a significant number of civilian witnesses".

Trump said the inquiry was being led by "political Hacks and Thugs".

On Friday, the US Department of Justice released a version of the affidavit used to justify the FBI's incursion into Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8, but it has been heavily redacted.

Given that the court papers were filed before the search of the Palm Beach estate, they contain no new details on the 11 sets of classified documents that the justice department has said were recovered from the exclusive golf club.

The FBI agent who drafted the affidavit wrote they had "probable cause" to believe that "evidence, contraband, fruits of crimes or other items illegally possessed" would be discovered.

"There is also probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises," the agent added.

The document shows that the unprecedented criminal investigation into a former president began after the National Archives, which maintains historic White House records, identified "a lot" of classified files among 15 boxes that it had recovered from Mar-a-Lago in January this year.

An FBI review of those materials uncovered 184 classified documents, including 25 marked as "Top Secret".

The cache included information from highly sensitive US intelligence human sources. Some items were also marked "Noforn" — meaning they must not be released to foreign nationals.

The files — some of which appeared to show Trump's handwritten notes — were interspersed with newspapers, magazines and other documents, according to the affidavit.

"Of most significant concern was that highly classified records were unfoldered, intermixed with other records and otherwise unproperly identified," the document said.

The discovery led investigators to believe that Trump may have been in violation of three separate federal laws, including the Espionage Act that governs classified information.

Of the 38 pages in the unsealed affidavit, 21 are mostly or entirely blacked out. There are several pages in which not a single word is visible.

A separate document explaining the proposed redactions noted that some parts of the affidavit must remain under seal to "protect the safety and privacy of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation".

Revealing the identities of witnesses, the document added, could potentially lead to them being subjected to harms including "retaliation, intimidation, or harassment and even threats to their physical safety".

Trump — who may launch another White House campaign for 2024 — reacted angrily on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He said that Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the search, should never have allowed the "break-in of my home". Trump also accused the judge of "animosity" towards him.

He has maintained that he had already ordered all the documents to be declassified.

The Justice Department's investigation is now expected to continue behind closed doors as it continues to review the documents and — potentially — call in more witnesses.

The public may not hear from prosecutors about the investigation until a decision has been made on whether it will result in any criminal charges.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
×