Everything we know so far about the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid

On Monday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Several people with knowledge of the matter say they were there as part of an investigation into whether Trump brought classified records from the White House to Florida. Here’s everything you need to know:

Why did FBI agents search Mar-a-Lago?

Several people familiar with the matter say the agents were at Mar-a-Lago as part of the probe into possible mishandling of classified information. Earlier this year, the National Archives received 15 boxes of White House documents from Mar-a-Lago, which included classified records containing national security information. These documents — some of them torn up and taped back together — should have been turned over to the National Archives at the end of the Trump administration, the agency said. At this point, the National Archives believed Trump was still holding onto additional documents and material, and asked the Department of Justice to start an investigation into the matter.

Trump himself broke the news about the search, releasing a statement on Monday evening saying that Mar-a-Lago was “currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.” He went on to claim that “such an assault could only take place in broken, Third World countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe!”

What happened during the search?

First, a search warrant was signed by a federal judge after establishing FBI agents had shown probable cause. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that the FBI notified the Secret Service just before serving the warrant; in turn, the Secret Service contacted the Justice Department, and after the warrant was validated, let FBI agents into Mar-a-Lago.

Mar-a-Lago is closed during the summer, and Trump was in New York City when agents arrived. People with knowledge of the situation told The New York Times that the search was conducted in “a relatively low-key manner,” with agents looking in a storage unit in the basement and Trump’s office.

What did FBI agents take from Mar-a-Lago?

The FBI and Justice Department are not commenting on the matter. During an interview Tuesday with the right-wing Real America’s Voice channel, Trump lawyer Christina Bobb said she had a copy of the search warrant, and investigators stated they were “looking for classified information that they think should not have been removed from the White House, as well as presidential records.”

Two people with knowledge of the matter told CBS News the agents left Mar-a-Lago with boxes and documents, with “some or possibly all” of the records containing classified material. No electronics were taken, they added.

Why did this search happen now?

The Times writes that it isn’t clear “whether the search was carried out simply to ensure that the documents and other material were properly turned over to the [National Archives] or it was a possible precursor to a prosecution of Mr. Trump for mishandling classified material or obstructing efforts to get it back.” It also isn’t known why Trump moved these classified documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago in the first place.

As part of the Justice Department’s probe, investigators have spoken with Trump aides about the records, and people with knowledge of the matter told The Washington Post that after conducting several interviews, some officials started to suspect that “Trump’s representatives were not truthful at times” and there were still documents at Mar-a-Lago.

What are the federal laws regarding classified government records?

The Presidential Records Act was enacted in 1978, and makes it so presidential records are the property of the U.S. government. The material — including emails, text messages, and phone records — must be preserved and turned over to the National Archives at the end of an administration. As part of the law, the National Archives has to make those documents available to the public “as rapidly and as completely as possible.”

There are also two laws connected to the destruction of White House records, CBS News reports. The first states that anyone found to have “willfully and unlawfully” concealed, removed, mutilated, obliterated, or destroyed a record faces a fine and up to three years in prison. The second law states that any person convicted of willfully injuring or committing “any depredation against any property” of the United States faces a fine or up to one year in prison.

How is Trump responding to the FBI search?

Trump is using the FBI search as a fundraising opportunity, with his Save America political action committee sending out texts and emails on Tuesday. In one email, Trump claimed to be the victim of “political persecution” and a “witch hunt,” which needed to be “exposed and stopped.”

On Monday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Several people with knowledge of the matter say they were there as part of an investigation into whether Trump brought classified records from the White House to Florida. Here’s everything you need to know: Why did…

On Monday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Several people with knowledge of the matter say they were there as part of an investigation into whether Trump brought classified records from the White House to Florida. Here’s everything you need to know: Why did…