Art Moore(WND)
Amid bipartisan outrage over the FBI raid of former President Trump’s estate, Attorney General Merrick Garland broke his silence Thursday, declaring in live televised remarks that he personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant.
Garland explained that whenever possible, the DOJ seeks less intrusive means in such instances and “does not take such decisions lightly.”
He announced that the Justice Department has filed a motion in the Southern District of Florida to unseal the search warrant and property receipt related to the raid Monday.
The attorney general said copies of the warrant and the receipt were provided to Trump’s lawyers on site during the search.
After Garland’s remarks, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that the raid was unnecessary.
“My attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established. The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it,” he wrote. “They asked us to put an additional lock on a certain area – DONE! Everything was fine, better than that of most previous Presidents, and then, out of nowhere and with no warning, Mar-a-Lago was raided, at 6:30 in the morning, by VERY large numbers of agents, and even ‘safecrackers.’ They got way ahead of themselves. Crazy!”
Garland, in his remarks Thursday, addressed what he called “recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism” of the FBI and DOJ and its agents in response to the raid.
“I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked,” he said. “The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants.
“Every day they protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to their safety while safeguarding our civil rights,” he said.
The raid was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which is running the criminal investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Whistleblowers from the Washington field office allege the agent in charge of their office, Timothy Thibault, helped cover up derogatory information on the Biden family’s influence peddling operation and also was “deeply involved” in the decision to open the investigation against President Trump of so-called “fake electors.” The assistant director of the Washington office, Steven M. D’Antuono, previously headed the Detroit field office, which concocted the FBI informant-led plot to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that was blamed on Trump supporters just before the 2020 election.
See the news briefing:
Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley said in a Fox News segment just prior to Garland’s remarks that the attorney general and the Justice Department should have anticipated the response to the raid, knowing the distrust held by a large portion of the public in the wake of the Trump-Russia hoax and other cases.
“This is a historic event with still unclear political dimensions and ramifications,” he said.
Garland’s statement contradicted a Newsweek report Wednesday citing a senior Justice Department source saying the attorney general had no prior knowledge of the date and time of the specific raid, and was not asked to approve it.
“I know it’s hard for people to believe,” the official said, “but this was a matter for the U.S. Attorney and the FBI.”
The official said, however, that Garland was regularly briefed on the Records Act investigation and was aware of the grand jury and the material sought by federal prosecutors.
At the White House on Tuesday, Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden was not briefed in advance of the raid.
“The Justice Department conducts investigations independently and we leave any law enforcement matters to them,” she said. “It would not be appropriate for us to comment on any ongoing investigations.”
For 25 years, WND has boldly brought you the news that really matters. If you appreciate our Christian journalists and their uniquely truthful reporting and analysis, please help us by becoming a WND Insider!
