Trump Search Warrant: Read the Documents for the FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago

trump search warrant

Getty Local law enforcement officers are seen in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on August 9, 2022.

A federal judge has unsealed the search warrant and other documents related to the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago. The court filing also included a receipt for what the FBI found during the search. Read on for the full documents or read the text in full here.

The filing that was unsealed today, August 12, 2022, included a receipt for what was collected. It shows the FBI gathered 11 sets of classified documents into evidence, some that were labeled “top secret.” Also among the evidence gathered was a handwritten note, information on the president of France, binders of photos and an executive grant of clemency for Roger Stone, the receipt says.

Here’s what you need to know:


The Search Warrant Says FBI Agents Were Looking for any Evidence Showing Violation of the Espionage Act

One of the documents in the newly unsealed court filing shows that agents were ordered to search for any evidence related to the violation of three laws that are a part of the Espionage Act. It says the FBI was searching for “All physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime and other items illegally possessed in violation of” laws related to “key national defense and national security.” The search warrant says it “applies to activities such as gathering, transmitting to an unauthorized person, or losing, information pertaining to the national defense, and to conspiracies to commit such offenses.”

Two other laws are related to improperly removing records and concealing or destroying records to impede investigations, the documents say.

The search was also conducted for “any physical documents with classification markings” and “any government and/or Presidential Records” that were from the time Trump held the office of president. The search warrant was also issued for any evidence of “knowing alteration, destruction or concealment of any government and/or Presidential records, or of any documents with any classification markings.”


The FBI Took 15 Boxes of Documents From Trump’s Residence

Among the documents collected were some called “SCI” documents, according to the court filings, which stands for highly classified “sensitive compartmented information.”

Trump’s attorney, Christina Bobb, said in a statement following the raid Monday, August 8, 2022, that the FBI “seized paper” in its search of the Palm Beach, Florida property, according to CNN. She also said Trump is cooperating with the investigation.

“President Trump and his legal team have been cooperative with FBI and DOJ officials every step of the way,” she said. “The FBI did conduct an unannounced raid and seized paper.”

Eric Trump, Trump’s son, spoke about the raid August 8 on Fox News that night and said the findings were meant to corroborate what was in his possession, based on what was in the National Archives. He told Fox that “the purpose of the raid, from what they said, was because the National Archives wanted to, you know, corroborate whether or not Donald Trump had any documents in his possession.”

Trump announced the raid himself, writing a lengthy post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He wrote:

These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before. After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.

“They even broke into my safe!” he added later in the post.

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