DETROIT – Local 4 talked to an expert to contextualize what federal agents took out of Mar-a-Lago.
To put into context exactly what federal agents took out and whether the situation is an argument of paperwork or something far more serious, we spoke with former United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider spoke about everything on the inventory list that was removed from Mar-a-Lago, and he says some things are concerning.
“This is not just about national archives material,” said Schneider. “This is about defense documents.”
On that inventory list, the FBI submitted frequently showing what agents removed from Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida, are Top Secret-Sensitive Compartment Information (TS-SCI) designation.
“I’ve seen TS-SCI information many times, and I would never want that information anywhere other than a secured governmental facility,” Schneider said.
Schneider says from his days as the U.S. attorney, making a move like this would have been done after all other avenues had been exhausted, and it sure wouldn’t have been undertaken lightly.
“It seems to be a last resort,” Schneider said. “Any time that you would execute a search warrant on a former president’s house, first of all, you got to make sure that you’ve got enough evidence to do that and that it’s highly justified. I don’t think anyone would ever take that step lightly, whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat. It’s just such a severe step. Clearly, the Justice Department felt they had to take that step.”
We’ve seen the search warrant unsealed, but what about the affidavit FBI agents had to swear to in order to get it?
Schneider says we should not expect to see that unsealed anytime soon because those files would contain their confidential informants.