The Senate Intelligence Committee issued a bipartisan request for more information regarding the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.
In a letter reported by Axios, Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote over the weekend to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting a classified briefing on the documents unveiled by the search, as well as an assessment of national security risks tied to any mishandling of those documents.
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“The Senate Intelligence Committee is charged with overseeing counterintelligence matters, including the handling and mishandling of classified information, which appears to be at the core of the search of Mar-a-Lago,” a committee spokesperson told Axios.
The effort by Warner and Rubio marks the first bipartisan effort at oversight of the FBI’s decision, which Trump and his allies have painted as political persecution.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, backed the move in a statement, saying the public deserves “a full accounting of the extraordinary action taken by the FBI last week.”
“I am encouraged that following consultation with Senate Intelligence Committee members, Chairman Warner and Vice Chairman Rubio have requested critical information related to the FBI’s search of former President Trump’s residence,” Collins said. “It’s imperative that the Committee receive all classified documents found during the search as well as the FBI affidavit, which would describe in detail any justification for the search. I look forward to the AG and the DNI’s swift compliance with the Committee’s request, which is essential to promoting transparency and securing a full accounting of the FBI’s unprecedented search of a former President’s personal residence.”
The Wall Street Journal obtained the search warrant released by a Florida court on Friday showing agents removed 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago last week, including some materials marked as top secret and meant to be only available in sensitive compartmented information facilities, known as SCIFs.
Last year, officials with the National Archives and Records Administration said Trump took documents that should have been turned over to them in accordance with the Presidential Records Act upon his departure from the White House. Trump returned some records to archivists earlier this year, including some marked as top secret, prompting an inquiry. But the search unveiled additional documents Trump did not previously return.
The search comes as Trump openly teases, but has not announced, a third bid for the White House, leading some of his allies to argue the search was intended to damage his political career.
House Republicans have embraced Trump’s claims of persecution. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) wrote on Twitter that Garland should “preserve your documents and clear your calendar” for House oversight if Republicans win a majority in November.
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A Politico/Morning Consult poll last week found more people approve of the search than disapprove.
