The FBI has searched Donald Trump's estate in Florida, with the former president claiming his home was "raided" and "under siege" and that agents broke open a safe.
A senior US official said FBI agents were at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach "for the majority of the day" on Monday.
The US Justice Department has been investigating the discovery of boxes of records containing classified information that were taken to Mar-a-Lago after Mr Trump's presidency ended.
They were retrieved in January by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which then asked the Justice Department to examine whether Mr Trump's handling of White House records violated federal law.
It noted that some of the boxes contained items "marked as classified national security information".
Mr Trump earlier gave details of the operation, claiming the action represented "dark times for our nation" and was "not necessary or appropriate".
His lawyer Christina Bobb, who said she was there during the search, told NBC News some papers had been seized.
'Unannounced raid'
Ms Bobb said Mr Trump and his team have been "cooperative with FBI and DOJ officials every step of the way", adding that the bureau "did conduct an unannounced raid and seized paper".
The Justice Department and FBI have declined to comment on the search.
Supporters of the former president were furious and gathered outside his Florida estate, waving flags, playing music and beeping their car horns in protest of the search.
Police cars were parked in the street, lights flashing, as officers directed traffic and kept onlookers from the gates.
"It's another unjust thing like the made up impeachment hoaxes," said Jim Whelan, 59.
It appeared Mr Trump's supporters were expecting him to arrive, as one officer announced on a megaphone: "Trump is not returning to Mar-a-Lago tonight. His trip has been cancelled."
Mr Trump was not present at the time of the search as he was in New York, Fox News Digital reported, publishing a photo of him which a reporter said showed him leaving Trump Tower.
His son Eric told Fox News the search concerned boxes of documents the former president brought with him from the White House, and that his father has been cooperating with NARA on the matter for months.
'They even broke into my safe'
Mr Trump said in a written statement: "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.
"Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before.
"After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate."
The former president claimed the search was politically motivated, adding: "They even broke into my safe."
Mr Trump continued: "It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponisation of the justice system, and an attack by radical left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for president in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming midterm elections."
The senior official denied Mr Trump's version of events, saying the use of the word "raid" was not appropriate in this context, adding they are "not breaking down doors here".
It was described as an orderly execution of a search warrant.
White House not given a heads-up
Any search of a private residence would have to be approved by a judge. The search is also likely to have been approved by FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and his boss, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by President Joe Biden.
"This is as big a deal as you can have, and... every single person in the chain would have had to sign off on this," Phillip Halpern, a former federal prosecutor, said.
Hours before agents searched the premises, the FBI notified the Secret Service about the bureau's plans to execute the warrant, according to a Secret Service official.
The Secret Service facilitated access to the property, the official said, but did not take part in any aspect of the search.
The White House said it was not given a heads-up about the search.
"We did not have notice of the reported action and would refer you to the Justice Department for any additional information," an official said.
The unprecedented search of a former president's home marks a significant escalation in the records investigation, which is one of several probes Mr Trump is facing from his time in office.
A separate investigation related to efforts by Mr Trump's allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 riot at the US Capitol in 2021 has also been intensifying in Washington.
Claims documents were found in toilet
Addressing NARA's retrieval of the official documents from his home earlier this year, Mr Trump said: "The papers were given easily and without conflict and on a very friendly basis."
He added that the 15 boxes, which contained memos, letters and other papers, were transported to the National Archives after "discussions" he called "collaborative".
The removal of such documents from the White House could be in violation of the law under the Presidential Records Act. It requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties.
An investigation into Mr Trump's handling of White House records was launched in February after media reports that documents were found in the building's toilet.
Maggie Haberman, a New York Times reporter, claimed White House staff would "periodically find the toilet clogged" and would then discover "wads of clumped up, wet printed paper... either notes or some other piece of paper they believed had been thrown" down it.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1mYmktc2VhcmNoaW5nLWZvcm1lci1wcmVzaWRlbnRzLW1hci1hLWxhZ28tZXN0YXRlLTEyNjY4ODAw0gFmaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1mYmktc2VhcmNoaW5nLWZvcm1lci1wcmVzaWRlbnRzLW1hci1hLWxhZ28tZXN0YXRlLTEyNjY4ODAw?oc=5
2022-08-09 06:08:58Z
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