Late Monday, former President Donald Trump told The Post that FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and opened his safe, in an unprecedented search that sources said was related to an investigation into whether he took classified government documents.
According to President Trump, law enforcement authorities arrived on the scene unannounced and for political reasons.
“These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Mr. Trump said in a lengthy statement. “After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, the unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.”
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 8, 2022
Is there political motivation for the FBI raid Mar-a-Lago?
According to Hillary Clinton’s lawyer, Marc Elias, the FBI raid would disqualify Trump from “holding any office” ever again.
During the 2016 presidential election, Mr. Elias spread debunked rumors about Trump-Russia collusion.
The media is missing the really, really big reason why the raid today is a potential blockbuster in American politics.👇 pic.twitter.com/3BdI9NA9Az
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) August 9, 2022
Elias points to code 18 U.S. Code § 2071:
(a)Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(b)Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.
As reported by The Washington Examiner, this could all be an attempt to prevent the president from running for office ever again:
With news of the FBI raiding Mar-a-Lago, buzz quickly bubbled up Monday evening about whether former President Donald Trump could be disqualified from office again.
The FBI search of the Florida resort was related to Trump’s handling of presidential records, including classified documents, after leaving office, sources told CNN.
Such reporting had Marc Elias, the top lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign who has drawn scrutiny for his role in pushing Trump-Russia collusion claims, pointing to U.S. Code Title 18, Section 2071. “The media is missing the really, really big reason why the raid today is a potential blockbuster in American politics,” Elias said in a tweet.
The passage that says anyone “having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States,” was the one he highlighted.
Despite Elias’s tweet going viral, he acknowledged in a follow-up missive that this matter could warrant a fierce leagl battle.
“Yes, I recognize the legal challenge that application of this law to a president would garner (since qualifications are set in Constitution). But the idea that a candidate would have to litigate this is during a campaign is in my view a ‘blockbuster in American politics,’” Elias said.
Allies of Trump expressed suspicions that the raid was part of a political move meant to ward off another presidential run — something Trump has strongly hinted he will partake in for 2024. Steve Bannon, a former White House aide who was pardoned by Trump, noted Elias’s tweet during a call on Fox News.
