Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined those expressing serious concerns in recent days after a report emerged from The Washington Post saying that FBI agents recovered information related to the nuclear weapons capabilities of a foreign nation in the early August raid of Mar-a-Lago.
The report from the Post doesn’t specify the nation that was the subject of the materials. An FBI affidavit used in the process of investigators pursuing and obtaining a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago indicates evidence didn’t suggest the Trump-owned property was appropriately authorized for the storage of any classified documents — a category obviously including nuclear weapons-related information. A subpoena from before the warrant was obtained and the search was conducted, which demanded the return of various classified documents potentially still at Mar-a-Lago, covered materials in a category often used for nuclear information. The subpoena was relatively all-encompassing, and after its issuance, federal authorities obtained a signed assurance from a Trump lawyer that everything covered by the subpoena was getting returned. That’s false.
“New reporting that Trump had highly classified information, including on foreign nuclear programs,” Schiff remarked on Twitter. “If true, it raises yet more questions. Why would Trump take them to Mar-a-Lago? Why did he refuse to return them? The investigation must continue uninterrupted and unimpeded.” Recently, a federal judge in Florida, who was originally nominated for the judiciary by Trump himself when still in office, decided to get behind a push from Trump for a so-called special master to help deal with the seized items — which number at nearly 13,000. Trump’s side and the Justice Department’s team already submitted proposals for somebody to fill the special master role, but nobody is appointed yet. In the meantime, the Justice Department indicated the judge’s restrictions on the usage of materials seized in the raid for investigative purposes forced a temporary halt to an investigation within the intelligence community into potentially damaging impacts from the disclosure of these materials.
The location at Mar-a-Lago where agents found the material related to nuclear weapons isn’t clear. Predictably, Trump’s side — including the former president himself — are complaining about issues including leaks. It’s publicly unclear which side even leaked various, specific information — although it’s also unknown who in Trump’s corner might have known what was at Donald’s resort.
New reporting that Trump had highly classified information, including on foreign nuclear programs.
If true, it raises yet more questions.
Why would Trump take them to Mar-a-Lago?
Why did he refuse to return them?
The investigation must continue uninterrupted and unimpeded.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 7, 2022
