As some of you remember, the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate was raided by federal agents in August 2022 as part of a classified documents investigation. Newly released internal FBI communications now show that officials initially believed they lacked “probable cause” to execute a search warrant.
The documents, obtained by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), detail the FBI’s deliberations with the Justice Department over whether there was sufficient legal basis for a warrant targeting classified records stored at Trump’s Florida home. The communications indicate that the bureau sought less intrusive methods to recover the materials, which had previously been returned on June 3, 2022.
The exchanges, dated July 20 and just one week before the August 8 raid, reveal that the FBI was exploring a “second path” for obtaining the warrant. The documents reference Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge of Counterintelligence Tony Riedlinger and DC field office boss Steven D’Antuono as participants.
An internal memo states: “WFO does not believe (and has articulated to DOJ CES) that we established probable cause for a search warrant for classified records at Mar-a-Lago. DOJ has opined that they do have probable cause, requesting a wide scope, including residence, office, storage space.”
The communications also show the FBI requested cooperation from Trump’s attorney Evan Corcoran, who later recused himself and became a witness. FBI officials noted the collaboration might “not go well at DOJ.”
During the raid, Trump claimed dozens of plainclothes agents “raided, and occupied” his home, breaking into a safe to access classified records. The former president was not present—he had moved to the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey—with only staff and groundskeepers remaining. Agents activated lights and sirens before swarming the complex, entering even Melania Trump’s Versailles Master Bedroom, while a professional safe cracker assisted in securing items from his office, according to sources.