03 February 2024 , 18:59
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FBI investigators missed a ‘hidden room’ during a search of Trump 's Mar-a-Lago resort while looking for sensitive documents, witnesses have said.
The ex-president ’s property, in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided by federal police in August 2022 and more than 100 documents marked ‘classified’ were seized. But a team working for special counsel Jack Smith has since spoken to several witnesses who have claimed that both a locked cabinet and a secret room were not examined during the visit.
Investigators involved in the case have since alleged that Trump replaced a lock on the cabinet while searches were ongoing. While the ‘hidden room’, which it’s believed is connected to Trump’s bedroom, also reportedly went unchecked, according to sources who spoke to ABC News.
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Stacks of boxes found in a bathroom and shower in The Mar-a-Lago Club's Lake Room (US Justice Department/AFP via Ge)Speaking to the broadcaster Jordan Strauss, a former federal prosecutor and former national security official in the Justice Department, said the possible mistake was "a bit astonishing." He said: “You're searching a former president's house. You [should] get it right the first time.”
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Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was originally raided by the FBI on August 8, 2022, when they executed a search warrant on the famed address. They then searched the premises for possible classified material and took away at least 100 pieces of evidence.
FBI Director Chris Wray said last year, when he testified before Congress, that agents had worn causal closes rather than “raid jackets” to prevent drawing attention to their activities. And he told lawmakers that the team “take great pains to be rigorous [and] professional."
Further boxes found in the White and Gold Ballroom of former US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate (US Justice Department/AFP via Ge)However, sources told ABC News that when they came to the locked closet they had decided not to break into it as they couldn’t find a key. And they were also informed that a space behind the door went ‘nowhere’, so they decided not to open it.
Sources also told ABC News that FBI agents didn't go further with their inquiries because they believed they had been at the residence 'long enough'. But the FBI denied this, with a source telling the broadcaster: “Discussions took place that day about additional areas of the property and it was determined that actions already taken met the parameters of the search warrant."
Trump faces dozens of charges relating to the discovery of the classified material (AFP via Getty Images)Unlike the locked closet, the FBI wasn’t aware that the secret room even existed until they made their way off the premises, sources told ABC News.
Trump, currently the favourite to get the republic nomination for president ahead of a election this year, has been charged on an indictment with 37 criminal counts. These include violations of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements to investigators.