Merrick Garland has not revealed the reasons and results of this search, but he said that it had been approved by a federal judge.
Le Monde with AFP
In the midst of a political storm in the United States between Democrats and Republicans, the Minister of Justice, Merrick Garland, said on Thursday that he “personally approved” the spectacular search led Monday by the FBI at the former president, Donald Trump, in Florida.
During an exceptional press conference, Mr. Garland revealed nothing of the reasons and results of this search, but he said that it had been approved by a federal judge.
Faced with the wave of indignation raised by this raid among the Republicans, the Minister condemned “unfounded attacks” against his ministry and the federal police. “I personally approved the decision to claim a search warrant for this case,” said Garland, during a short and very rare television intervention. “The ministry does not make this kind of decision lightly,” he assured.
unprecedented
This unprecedented search by the FBI with a former President of the United States took place on Monday in the luxury residence of Donald Trump in Mar-A-Lago, Florida. Outraged, the 45 e American president suggested, on Wednesday, on its social network Truth Social that the FBI could have “placed” evidence against it, during this operation. Never had a former tenant of the White House was worried by the justice in this way.
Does the search of the federal police have to do with the many boxes that Donald Trump took with him by leaving the White House in January 2021? Is it linked to the survey on its responsibility in the Capitole assault? Does it rather concern the suspicions of financial fraud which the Trump Organization is the subject in New York? Mr. Garland did not reveal anything about the FBI search. He simply alluded to a “probable cause” justifying the decision of the authorities but without being more explicit.
under pressure
The Ministry of Justice was under political and media pressure, this week, to express themselves on the search.
The Republican Tenors made a block with their former president, who did not recognize his defeat in 2020 and plans to represent himself in 2024. The former vice-president Mike Pence, himself possible rival of Donald Trump in Two years, expressed his “deep concern” after the FBI raid.
The republican billionaire was also subject to an oath hearing on Wednesday in the New York General Prosecutor’s Office. But he invoked for four hours more than 440 times his right not to answer the questions, under the 5 e amendment of the American Constitution, according to American media. According to one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, Ron Fischetti, quoted by NBC television, the only answer that his client made was to give his name.
The highest magistrate in New York State, Letitia James, a civil investigation since 2019 on suspicions of financial and tax fraud within the Trump Organization family group.