The Biden Administration played a key role in the raid of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. This is according to a report published by America First Legal (AFL). According to this investigation, the White House submitted on behalf of the Department of Justice, a special access request to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which in turn, allowed the FBI access to the former president's alleged classified documents. The emails also show that NARA personnel lied to Congress in denying their involvement in this event.
/1 🚨THREAD — records obtained from our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Mar-a-Lago raid further confirm that the FBI obtained access to these records through a “special access request” from the Biden White House on behalf of the DOJ.https://t.co/JapM7ZFq4k pic.twitter.com/O9fne5qRD1
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) April 10, 2023
Biden and DOJ "lied to the American people"
In its statement, AFL noted that "it appears that the Biden White House and DOJ coordinated to obtain Trump's records and perhaps create a pretext for the law enforcement raid through a 'special access request.'" Reed D. Rubinstein, Senior Counsel and Director of Oversight and Investigations for the organization was even harsher in his remarks:
The evidence suggests that the ostensibly nonpartisan National Archives and Records Administration misled Congress about the Biden White House’s responsibility for the FBI’s raid of former President Trump’s home. The evidence further suggests that Biden officials in the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Justice unlawfully abused their power and then lied about it to the American people. This government, it seems, acknowledges no limits on its power to harass, intimidate, and silence its political opponents..
A legally controversial move
Following the surprise raid by FBI agents at the Mar-a-Lago residence, the White House issued a statement declaring itself "stunned" by what had happened. However, documentation obtained by AFL through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request demonstrates that its assistance was instrumental in allowing federal agents to access Trump's records.
The White House's move is controversial from a legal standpoint. According to the legislation, the president may make a special access request exclusively for matters related to current business of the mandate. "Providing documents to the DOJ for purposes of a criminal investigation is not the “current business” of the White House," AFL notes in its release.
In addition, documentation accessed by AFL indicates that NARA lied to Congress about its involvement in this event. During the August 16, 2022 hearing, archivist Debra Toll assured Republican Congressman Mike Turner that the entity "had not participated in the DOJ investigation or any of the searches it has conducted."
