Former President Donald Trump has officially filed a lawsuit against the federal government following the Aug. 8 raid of his Mar-a-Lago residence, CNBC reports.
He is also requesting that a special watchdog be appointed to review the materials seized from his Florida home as a part of the ongoing criminal investigation surrounding White House records that were removed during his exit in January 2021. According to the suit, Trump believes that the FBI raid that took place earlier this month was politically motivated. Now, he is demanding that the Department of Justice be blocked “from review of seized materials” until the special person has been called upon to sort through the documents.
“This Mar-a-Lago Break-In, Search, and Seizure was illegal and unconstitutional,” said Trump in a written statement. “And we are taking all actions necessary to get the documents back, which we would have given to them without the necessity of the despicable raid of my home, so that I can give them to the National Archives until they are required for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum.”
Per a spokesperson for the DOJ, the proper materials were obtained to search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. “The Aug. 8 search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was authorized by a federal court upon the required finding of probable cause,” said Anthony Coley in response to the former president’s allegations. “The department is aware of this evening’s motion. The United States will file its response in court.”
Furthermore, Trump called the raid “a shockingly aggressive move” and noted that having roughly two dozen FBI agents raid his home was done “with no understanding of the distress that it would cause most Americans.” The lawsuit also listed the 76-year-old as “the clear frontrunner” in both the 2024 Republican presidential primary and general election, “should he decide to run.”