Biden administration officials were involved in Mar-a-Lago raid despite claiming otherwise: report
The Biden administration was involved in the raid of the former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, despite reports that its employees were “stunned”, to discover about the news on social networks, according to America First Legal. They obtained internal documents from the government through a Freedom of Information Act request.
In a Tuesday post on social media, Reed D. Rubinstein (America First Legal senior counsel and director of oversight, investigations) stated that “the evidence further suggests” that Biden officials from the Executive Office of President and the Department of Justice illegally abused their power, and then lied to the American people about it. It seems that the government does not recognize limits to its power to intimidate, harass, or silence political opponents.
Rubinstein’s comments follow a Freedom of Information Act request from America First Legal, which found that the FBI had initially gained access to Trump records via a “special access demand” from Biden White House.
This new information confirms Fox News’ August reporting that NARA acting head Debra Wallace wrote to Trump’s lawyer referring to the administration’s involvement.
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According to records, John Laster was “the Archives official responsible for administering all access request for Presidential records.” This is despite Archives claims that it was not involved in the DOJ investigation.
“On October 25, 2022 Acting Archivist Wall wrote the following to Jim Jordan and James Comer, stating that NARA had received 15 boxes from President Trump on Jan 18, 2022. Then, NARA discovered that they contained classified national security data. NARA reached out to its Office of Inspector General, which is independent of NARA, shortly after the discovery. NARA’s OIG disclosed the matter publicly in court filings. America First Legal then wrote that DOJ referred it to DOJ on February 9, 2022.
“If the OIG had acted independently when referring to the FBI, Mr. Laster wouldn’t have participated in the FBI’s review the 15 boxes in his capacity of Director of the White House liaison Division. He is responsible for all access requests for Presidential records.”
America First Legal states that the special access statute allows for special access requests to the incumbent president “only when the records are necessary for the conduct of current business” of the White House.
The organization stated that “Providing documents to DOJ for criminal investigations is not the ‘current business of the White House.”
The August letter sent by Evan Corcoran, Wall’s attorney to Trump, also hinted at President Biden being involved.
Wall wrote that NARA had informed the Department of Justice of the discovery. This prompted the Department’s request to the President to request NARA give the FBI access to the boxes in question so that the FBI, and other members of the Intelligence Community, could examine them.” “The Counsel to President informed me that President Biden, in light the specific circumstances, defers to my decision, in consultation the Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, as to whether or not I should uphold former President’s purported protective assertion of executive confidentiality’.
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