Republicans demand that the FBI disclose the basis for the search of Trump’s home

Republicans continue to urge the FBI to release an affidavit that would have provided grounds for the seizure of documents at former President Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago.

The search warrant, which led FBI agents to seize about a dozen boxes of documents related to Trump’s presidency, said the Justice Department had probable cause to search for possible violations of the Espionage Act.

Republicans are demanding disclosure of the information that convinced a federal judge to issue a search warrant. An affidavit of this nature is highly unusual and requires the approval of a federal judge because it contains sources of information and other classified information.

“I think the release of the affidavit would be helpful in at least confirming that there was probable cause for this search,” Republican Senator Mike Rounds told NBC.

“The Justice Department has to prove … that it had every reason to do this, that they’ve exhausted all other means,” Rounds said. – And if they can’t do that, then we have a serious problem.”

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republican Mike Turner, chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, told CNN Sunday that the Biden administration should provide more details about the basis for the search.

“Congress is saying, ‘Show us. We want to know what did the FBI tell them? What did they find?”,” Turner said.

House Democratic member Adam Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, did not address the affidavit on Sunday, but told CBS that it was “very troubling” that Trump continues to keep classified documents after the Justice Department demanded they be returned.