FBI’s Record Seizures Involving Trump’s Allies

Two associates of President Donald Trump have disclosed that the FBI searched their records without their knowledge during the Biden administration. This comes alongside revelations about the FBI’s scrutiny of Kash Patel, the FBI Director, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

Corey Lewandowski, a Republican operative currently working with the Department of Homeland Security, shared on Thursday that he received the same notification about records being seized that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino had previously mentioned. Both indicated they were notified in 2024 that Google complied with the FBI’s request for data concerning their accounts. This situation exemplifies the extensive nature of the FBI’s investigation into Trump and bolsters Republican claims that President Joe Biden may be using law enforcement to target political adversaries.

“It’s interesting. I got the same notice. Wonder why the media isn’t making a fuss about this? They don’t seem to care when it involves Trump,” Lewandowski remarked on X.

Lewandowski and Scavino expressed that their notifications implied Google was under a court-imposed gag order and had delayed informing them about the records request, which is standard in investigations.

Meanwhile, Patel acknowledged this week that subpoenas had been issued for both his and Wiles’ phone records, admitting that accessing the documents was challenging due to extra protective measures in place.

“It’s really troubling and concerning that former FBI leadership exploited weak justifications to secretly subpoena my phone records and those of Susie Wiles, hiding everything within a restricted case file meant to bypass oversight,” Patel asserted.

The subpoena requests details of calls between Patel and Wiles, including timestamps and phone numbers, though the actual content of the calls isn’t part of the request. The subpoena itself hasn’t been made public, leaving its particulars uncertain.

Two FBI officials informed that calls between Wiles and her attorney were recorded as early as 2023, alleging that the attorney was aware of this, but Wiles was not. However, an anonymous attorney who represented Wiles during that call disputed these claims, stating he had no idea the FBI was recording. “Had I done something like that, I would face serious consequences. It’s shocking for me too,” the lawyer commented.

The exact nature of the FBI’s inquiry remains unclear, but the timing suggests it might be connected to investigations into Trump’s management of classified materials. Patel and Wiles, who were private citizens at the time, served as witnesses in the case regarding Trump’s alleged violation of the Espionage Act concerning national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Earlier reports indicated Patel had been subpoenaed for grand jury testimony, receiving immunity as part of the investigation.

Investigations into Trump include both his alleged mishandling of classified documents and supposed interference in the 2020 election. Documentation from Congress showed numerous subpoenas targeting Republican figures, including phone records of several members of Congress. While GOP members described these actions as serious overreach, Smith, who is overseeing the investigation, maintains that his work is standard and devoid of political bias.

Patel recently let go of at least ten employees, reportedly due to possession of weapons. This led to backlash from the FBI Agents Association, which claimed such firings compromise the department’s integrity and operational strength.

The White House directed inquiries regarding the matter to the FBI, who had no further comments, and a spokesperson for Smith also declined to provide any input.