FBI’s Search Warrant at Mar-a-Lago Lacked Probable Cause, Internal Records Reveal

WASHINGTON — Internal documents released by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) indicate that the FBI did not find probable cause to carry out the search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022.

The FBI’s Washington field office stated that it “does not believe” it had adequate grounds to act, even informing the Department of Justice about this stance. According to records from an unnamed assistant special agent, they established there was probable cause for a search warrant regarding confidential records at the property, although they seemed to have their doubts.

Grassley highlighted in a post on X that the findings were “shocking.” He emphasized that the FBI had never believed there was a valid reason to raid Trump’s home, yet, the Biden Justice Department proceeded with the action.

In the internal communications, FBI officials acknowledged that their efforts to gather evidence over six weeks might have been “counterproductive.” Interviews with witnesses failed to uncover any classified documents remaining at the estate since a batch was returned on June 3, 2022.

The probable cause memo and related emails, exchanged just a week prior to the raid, show that the FBI was exploring alternative avenues for obtaining search warrants. Tony Riedlinger, the special agent leading counterintelligence for the Washington field office, made these points clear in his communication.

Riedlinger and D.C. field office chief Stephen D’Antuono were part of the email correspondence, which noted that the agency wanted to execute the warrant “in a professional and discreet manner” while considering the investigation’s public perception.

Moreover, there was an attempt to gain cooperation from one of Trump’s lawyers, although FBI officials mentioned that such efforts “might not work” with the Justice Department.

In June 2023, Special Counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with multiple offenses linked to the alleged retention of classified files throughout Mar-a-Lago, including areas like bedrooms and ballrooms. However, U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon later dismissed the case, ruling that Smith’s appointment as special prosecutor was legally flawed, lacking Congressional endorsement.