Report: FBI searched Mar-a-Lago to look for nuclear documents
The FBI agents who executed a search warrant Monday at former President Donald Trump's Florida home Mar-a-Lago were looking for classified documents related to nuclear weapons, among other items, several people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity, and did not give the Post any additional details on the documents, including whether they involved weapons belonging to the U.S. or another country. They also did not reveal whether the documents were recovered during Monday's search of Mar-a-Lago, which is also a private club and holds events like weddings and fundraisers.
Experts told the Post documents about nuclear weapons are so sensitive that usually just a handful of government officials have access to them, and authorities would move as fast as possible to get this top-secret information back if it was no longer secure.
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The Department of Justice on Thursday filed a motion to unseal the search warrant, which would likely reveal some information on what the agents were looking for at Mar-a-Lago and the crimes they could be linked to, the Post says. Trump, who along with his allies has called the search politically motivated, could release the warrant himself to share with the public. His lawyers have until 3 p.m. ET Friday to tell the court whether Trump objects to the unsealing.
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday said he personally authorized the decision to seek the search warrant, but did not give any details on what the agents were searching for or the investigation. The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment to the Post, and a Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to their request for comment.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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