Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
(WASHINGTON) — Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the chair and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, respectively, have sent a private letter to top intelligence officials and the Justice Department asking for more information from last week’s unprecedented FBI search at Mar-a-Lago.
The letter, sent Sunday to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Attorney General Merrick Garland, specifically seeks the classified documents that were seized and an analysis of any national security threat posed by the mishandling of the information.
The request comes after it was revealed that 11 sets of classified information were seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida resort, including confidential, secret and top-secret documents.
The letter, first reported by Axios, also is seeking to get to the heart of the rationale behind the search, which Garland said he personally approved.
“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,” said Rachel Cohen, a spokesperson for Warner who confirmed the letter and its contents but would not share it.
The letter from Warner and Rubio is the first bipartisan outreach from Congress asking for more information from the search. Other House committees have requested information on the fuel behind the search and what was found, though those appeals were spearheaded by Democrats.
Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairs of the House Oversight and Intelligence Committees, respectively, sent a letter over the weekend asking Haines to conduct a damage assessment on the classified information recovered from Mar-a-Lago.
“In his remarks, Attorney General Garland claimed there was a substantial public interest in the execution of an unprecedented search warrant on President Trump. As such, the Intelligence Committee has asked the Department of Justice to share with us, on a classified basis, the specific intelligence documents seized from Mar-a-Lago,” Rubio said through a spokesperson.
Rubio also sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting a meeting to discuss the search.
A spokesperson for DNI Haines declined to comment on both the request by Senate Intelligence Committee leaders and the separate joint request for a damage assessment made by Schiff and Maloney.
The search on Trump’s Florida residence sparked both a backlash from Republican allies over claims that the investigation is a political effort and Democratic questions over the handling of the classified information found at Mar-a-Lago, which included top-secret, sensitive compartmented information (SCI) material, a classification of materials that sometimes involves nuclear secrets.
SCI material is also intended to only be handled in secured locations.
Trump has offered an array of explanations over the search, including saying that evidence was planted, that he had declassified the documents prior to leaving the White House and that the documents obtained by the FBI were protected under attorney-client and executive privileges.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE
(CHEYENNE, WYO.) — Perhaps no midterm primary is getting more attention than that of Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, whose race next week could be the highest-profile test yet of the voter backlash — or lack thereof — to a Republican participating on the House Jan. 6 committee and whether anti-Trump conservatives have a path forward within their own party.
On Tuesday, residents of the least populous state in the nation will hand down their answer. As it stands, Cheney’s chances for reelection are slim: Her opponent, Wyoming attorney Harriet Hageman, bests her in past head-to-head polling match-ups, according to FiveThirtyEight, helped in part by a blessing from former President Donald Trump. (FiveThirtyEight noted earlier this year that public polling on the race has been sparse.)
On Thursday, Cheney released an ad crystalizing her closing argument: The “big lie” about the 2020 election — and Trump’s embrace of it — is ruining democracy.
Cheney called it “insidious.”
“It preys on those who love their country,” she said in the ad. “It is a door Donald Trump opened to manipulate Americans to abandon their principles, to sacrifice their freedom, to justify violence, to ignore the rulings of our courts and the rule of law.”
Whether that pitch persuades enough of her party’s base will soon be made clear. But interviews with approximately a dozen voters in Wyoming in recent days show they have other things on their mind.
Republicans in the state that Trump won with 70% of the vote told ABC News that they feel increasingly distant from their three-term congresswoman. And while they said they are unhappy with Cheney’s prominent position on the Jan. 6 committee, which she vice-chairs, and her hardline stance against Trump’s baseless election attacks, the Wyoming residents also said they felt she no longer represented them politically, either.
“After she jumped in on the Jan. 6 thing, and she jumped in on the impeachment, she was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t meeting with the people. She doesn’t care about us,” Myrna Burgess told ABC at the Laramie County Fair.
“She’s tone-deaf to even listening to us,” said Burgess, also claiming that the congresswoman had taken a soft stance on Second Amendment rights because she like 13 other Republicans voted for a recent bipartisan anti-gun violence package. Burgess said that decision was another indicator that she’s out of touch with voters.
“When she starts voting against the Second Amendment, that is a total dealbreaker,” Burgess said.
Accusations that Cheney is mostly absent from the state have also been capitalized on by challenger Hageman.
“I am the only candidate that has traveled around this state,” Hageman said at a recent event.
Cheney has been campaigning in Wyoming, as evidenced by photos shared by her team on social media, though she isn’t holding wide-scale, big-tent events the way her opponent is. But that’s because of concern for her safety after becoming one of the country’s most visible anti-Trump Republicans, according to Wyoming state Rep. Landon Brown, a Cheney surrogate.
“She has to have private events that are not announced to the general public because of her safety. And that’s a crying shame that somebody stood up for what they believed in in Congress, and they are now in a position where they have to worry about their safety and their family safety,” Brown said.
Brown, like Cheney, said the race is about the existential choice facing the Republican Party: between embracing Trump’s endless insistence the last presidential race was stolen from him — or moving on.
In an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl last month, Cheney said her work highlighting Trump’s attacks on elections was more important than being elected. But she said then that she was working to win.
“The single most important thing is protecting the nation from Donald Trump. And I think that that matters to us as Americans more than anything else, and that’s why my work on the committee is so important,” she told Karl.
“This is bigger than one person’s presidency. This is our Constitution. This is our history. This is what we’re going to be remembered for. And that’s exactly what Liz is remembering. And there’s a lot of people in my district alone, but as well as other people out there, that they feel the exact same way,” Brown said. “And unfortunately, you know, everything lands in Wyoming’s lap right now.”
That’s where Democrats are — potentially — coming in, in an unusual last-minute push to cross party lines to try and save an anti-Trump lawmaker who nonetheless had voted with Trump more than 90% of the time.
In Wyoming, voters can change party affiliations at relevant county clerk offices no later than 14 days before the primary election, or at polling locations on the day of the primary or general election. State law also allows voters to switch their party affiliations back for future elections.
That makes it theoretically easy for Wyoming Democrats to vote as Republicans in Tuesday’s primary. Still, an analysis by FiveThirtyEight showed it’s unlikely they’ll make up the deficit with Republicans, given how many more conservatives there are in the state: 70% of voters in the state are registered with the GOP.
And in every midterm election in the past decade, more than 80% of primary votes cast have been for GOP candidates, meaning even those who haven’t declared their party affiliation are more than likely to lean red.
Several Wyoming Democrats who turned on their own party and temporarily registered as Republicans told ABC News that they didn’t make the choice lightly.
“The first time in my life I am a registered Republican,” said Laramie resident Megan Hayes. “That gave me a little bit of a rash, but I did it and I already voted and I got an absentee ballot and I did vote for Liz Cheney,”
Language on the Cheney campaign website directs voters interested in crossing the aisle to the county clerk’s office — though the Cheney campaign rejects any notion that they are targeting Democrats specifically.
“I’ve never received these kinds of mailers and certainly not in this abundance for one race ever,” said Connie Wilbert, a longtime Wyoming Democrat who has temporarily changed her voter registration status in order to vote for Cheney.
She said she’s received stacks of mailers urging her to make the switch. Around her neighborhood, where she said mostly includes lifelong liberals, are swaths of Cheney yard signs.
“While I disagree with her on virtually everything else, all policies. I respect the heck out of because the taking this stand and I think it’s really important,” Wilbert said.
The Cheney campaign insists they aren’t targeting Democrats, but said they’ll welcome any support.
Behind much of the party-switching push is a group called Wyomingites Defending Freedom And Democracy, which earlier this week even cut pro-Cheney ads with Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Dean Phillips of Minnesota.
Their efforts may have begun to work: At least for a few thousand registered Democrats appear to have changed their registration over the past month, according to state elections data.
If — somehow — Tuesday’s race ends up being close, that might be key.
“There aren’t enough Democrats to … sway this. If one candidate wins by 5,000 votes. Those Democrats who switched had no real sway,” said Jim King, a political science professor at the University of Wyoming. “If the race was decided by 500 votes, well, then those people would have perhaps had an influence.”
(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has been informed that he is considered a “target” of the Georgia criminal investigation probing the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election in that state, according to sources familiar with the matter.
An attorney for Giuliani received a call Monday informing them that he is a “target” of the investigation, the sources said.
The move comes just two days before Giuliani is set to testify before the Fulton Country special grand jury probing the case, as the investigation appears to be ramping up.
Giuliani is still expected to testify on Wednesday, the sources said.
Last week, an attorney for Giuliani said in court that Giuliani’s legal team had been asked the district attorney “whether or not Mr. Giuliani is a target of this investigation,” but had “not yet received a response.”
The judge in the case, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, said he “would implore” the DA to “at least address that before [Giuliani] gets here.”
Earlier, 16 so-called “alternate electors” in the state were informed that they are also considered “targets” of the probe.
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has said that a plan set up by the Trump campaign in multiple swing states sought to assemble “groups of individuals in key battleground states and got them to call themselves electors, created phony certificates associated with these fake electors and then transmitted these certificates to Washington, and to the Congress, to be counted during the joint session of Congress on January 6th.”
The special grand jury seated in the investigation does not have the ability to return an indictment, and can only make recommendations concerning criminal prosecution.
Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Administration sources familiar with the investigation tell ABC News the amount and the sensitivity of confidential, secret and top-secret documents allegedly discovered in the Mar-a-Lago search raise critical national security questions that must be urgently addressed.
Those officials say law enforcement and security officials must now try to track the chain of custody of the material and try to determine if any of the material was compromised.
Officials acknowledged these critical questions need to be addressed because the material, in theory, would be of great value to foreign adversaries and even allies. Interviews with Trump administration officials are anticipated and authorities may even check for fingerprints to see if that provides insight into who had access.
The FBI warrant and inventory allege that 11 sets of sensitive information were recovered during the Mar-a-Lago search — including confidential, secret and top-secret documents. There was even top-secret, sensitive compartmented information (SCI) material. This classification of materials sometimes involves nuclear secrets and terrorism operations based on a Director of National Intelligence (DNI) overview of security protocols, which ABC News has reviewed.
The top-secret SCI documents are classified as national intelligence and involve intel “concerning or derived from intelligence sources,” according to a (DNI) document reviewed for this reporting. This material may come from allies, spying, eavesdropping or informants.
Top-secret SCI should only be handled under the strictest of conditions in secure-designated locations. Such locations are supposed to be impervious to eavesdropping and no electronic devices are allowed. Only a select few are ever allowed to view SCI — for example, a “need to know appropriately cleared recipient.”
Why the concern? U.S. officials know such sensitive documents are targeted by enemy nations and other adversaries who are constantly attempting espionage and eavesdropping activities here in the U.S.
Loss of information classified as confidential would “damage” national security — loss of secret documents would cause “serious damage” to national security and the compromise of top-secret material creates the potential for “exceptionally grave damage to the national security,” according to Executive Order No. 13526 signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2009.
Among the critical questions in the wake of the Mar-a-Lago raid are how were critical documents stored at the White House, and how was it that so many boxes of such highly classified material could be removed in the first place; who exactly was involved in the authorization to remove the material and who removed the material; how was the material transported to Mar-a-Lago — by plane, by truck — and who had access to it during transport. Top-secret material must have specifically authorized transport, may not be sent via U.S. mail and may only be transmitted by authorized government courier service. Other critical questions include: was the material stored in Mar-a-Lago, who had access to it and was it under constant security camera surveillance; and what were the security measures and protocols.
The Presidential Records Act establishes that presidential records automatically transfer into the legal custody of the archivist as soon as the president leaves office.
(WASHINGTON) — Federal officials warned in a new bulletin that law enforcement officers and others in the government are facing increasing threats after last week’s unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.
The joint intelligence bulletin from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security was released Friday and obtained by ABC News. It was disseminated “in light of an increase in threats and acts of violence, including armed encounters, against law enforcement, judiciary, and government personnel, in reaction to the FBI’s recent execution of a court-authorized search warrant in Palm Beach, Florida,” officials wrote.
The bulletin links the latest concerns of possible violence with a broader polarization in society, driven in part by statements from lawmakers themselves.
“Since the search, the FBI and DHS have observed an increase in violent threats posted on social media against federal officials and facilities, including a threat to place a so-called dirty bomb in front of FBI Headquarters and issuing general calls for ‘civil war’ and ‘armed rebellion,'” officials wrote in the bulletin.
“Many of these threats include references to the perception that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and other claims of government overreach, which are narratives that have mobilized [domestic violent extremists] in the past to commit acts of violence, including against law enforcement and federal, state, and local governments,” the officials added.
Specifically, officials identified multiple articulated threats and calls for the targeted killing of judicial, law enforcement and government officials associated with the Palm Beach search, including the judge who approved the search warrant, the bulletin stated.
The FBI and DHS have also observed the personal identifying information of possible targets of violence, such as home addresses and identification of family members, disseminated online as additional targets, according to the bulletin.
The warning comes after FBI agents searched Trump’s home early last Monday in connection with the suspected improper handling of government information. A redacted copy of the search warrant shows agents took out boxes of sensitive, top secret and other classified files.
Trump denies wrongdoing and says he is being politically persecuted; his spokesperson has also claimed the documents that were retrieved were declassified.
The search caused an uproar among Trump’s allies, who painted it as overtly political. Some lawmakers, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., issued calls to “defund the FBI.”
Such comments built on baseless conspiracy theories by Trump and others that the 2020 election was “rigged” and that a so-called “deep state” has been supposedly acting to undermine the former president from within the government.
The law enforcement bulletin released Friday referenced officials’ rhetoric in being one of multiple possible contributors to the threats.
“Drivers that could escalate the threat environment include possible future law enforcement or legal actions against individuals associated with the Palm Beach search, statements by public officials which incite violence, a high-profile successful … attack that inspires copycats, or the emergence of additional conspiracy theories,” the officials wrote.
“The threats we have observed, to date, underscore that [domestic violent extremists] may view the 2022 midterm election as an additional flashpoint around which to escalate threats against perceived ideological opponents, including federal law enforcement personnel,” the officials wrote.
Days after the Mar-a-Lago search, authorities said, an armed man tried to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati field office before fleeing — and was ultimately shot and killed by police after a standoff.
The man, Ricky Shiffer, is a “suspected domestic violent extremist,” according to law enforcement officials briefed on the probe.
Investigators have been looking social media posts apparently linked to Shiffer, which called for violence in the days after the FBI raid of Trump’s home, officials previously told ABC News.
(UVALDE, Texas) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott traveled to Uvalde amid growing criticism of his level of engagement with a community still reeling from the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School.
The Republican governor met with families of the 21 victims on Friday, his office confirmed to ABC News. Arriving Friday morning at the town’s municipal airport, Abbott said, “I’m here to help out the folks of Uvalde.”
But some have accused Abbott, who is currently in the throes of a heated reelection bid, of ulterior motives in quietly engaging with family members of the victims. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat from San Antonio, suggested that the governor’s visit might have been a political calculation — particularly given his hesitancy to heed their calls for gun reform.
“It is campaign season, so now, Governor Abbott is checking a box to say he met with families,” Gutierrez told ABC News. “He needs to do something real for them.”
Javier Cazares, whose daughter Jackie Cazares was killed in the Robb shooting, was among those who met with Abbott on Friday. Cazares said he and others took the opportunity to ask questions about school safety and again propose raising the age limit to purchase assault rifles. Cazares said the governor took notes but did not answer their questions directly.
“We just wanted to have a chance to ask him some questions,” Cazares told ABC News.
Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Abbott, confirmed Abbott’s travel to Uvalde in a statement to ABC News and said the governor has “[visited] with every family who requested a meeting.”
“Governor Abbott visited Uvalde today and over the past several weeks, meeting with over 30 victims’ families privately to ensure they are receiving all the resources and support needed to heal,” Eze said.
Abbott has attracted the ire of some in Uvalde who perceive his posture toward the community as aloof and distant. Some family members were disappointed when Abbott did not attend any funeral services for the victims. Others cited news reports indicating that Abbott attended a political fundraiser on the night of the shooting.
Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic nominee for governor, has visited Uvalde five times since May 24 and has also criticized Abbott for his response to the shooting.
Eze, the Abbott spokesperson, said “many families requested private funerals, and the Governor and First Lady instead sent flowers and condolences to let the loved ones know they remain in their prayers.”
In July, Angel Garza, father of victim Amerie Jo Garza, told ABC News: “Governor Abbott has yet to reach out.” And Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said in mid-July that he had not been in touch with Abbott in the prior four weeks.
Eze pushed back on complaints that Abbott has not sufficiently engaged with the community.
“The Governor has been to the community every month since the tragedy,” Eze said. “Governor Abbott and his office remain in regular contact with local leaders to ensure all immediate needs for victims’ families and the Uvalde community are being met.”
(ERIE, Pa.) — In front of a crowd nearly triple the anticipated turnout, John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for Senate in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, spoke for roughly 11 minutes on Friday in his first public campaign appearance since suffering a stroke in May.
Dressed in a hoodie and flanked by his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, at a convention center in Erie, Fetterman discussed his stroke and threw jabs at his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, in front of an energized crowd his campaign said exceeded 1,300 people.
The lieutenant governor briefly paused in the middle of several sentences and sometimes repeated words. In an interview last month with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he said he was working with a speech therapist and insisted he had “nothing to hide” regarding his health.
“Tomorrow is, three months ago, my life could have ended,” he said, remembering the moment he said his wife noticed he was having a stroke on the way to a campaign event. “Let me just tell you right now, in front of everyone, Gisele saved my life.”
“Tonight, for me, it’s about being grateful,” he said.
Keeping his remarks light on policy, Fetterman took several shots at Oz, whose campaign has made a daily habit of reminding voters of Fetterman’s absence, publicizing a running “Basement Tracker.”
“Are we in Erie, or have I fit 1,400 people in my basement?” Fetterman roared at the start of his speech.
In a statement Friday night, Oz’s communications director, Brittany Yanick, called Fetterman “a no-show for the commonwealth” and said, “Pennsylvanians deserve answers now from Fetterman. It’s been far too long.”
Fetterman’s campaign chose Erie because its voters are notorious for being unpredictable and indicative of statewide margins. Donald Trump won Erie County in 2016 before it swung to Joe Biden four years later. The county was decided both years by fewer than 2,000 votes.
“If you can’t win Erie County, you can’t win Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said on stage.
Local leaders touted Fetterman’s popularity in Erie, saying it was a city where he often campaigned and vacationed.
“I think for a lot of people in this community, they look at somebody like John Fetterman and they go, ‘He understands us. He’s been here.’ They kind of think about him as a member of this community,” said Jim Wertz, Chair of the Erie County Democratic Party.
“Fetterman has spent more time here as an elected official than anyone I can remember since he first ran for Senate in 2016,” he added, referring to Fetterman’s first campaign for a U.S. Senate seat.
Fetterman’s campaign expressed enthusiasm after the event, with a spokeswoman, Emilia Rowland, telling ABC News she thought the lieutenant governor “sounded great” and that the campaign had hoped for a turnout of “500 at best.”
Liz Allen, president of the Erie City Council, said she was “impressed.”
Fetterman’s recovery from his stroke is personal for Allen, 70, a lifelong Erie resident, who described to ABC News her brother’s steady recovery from a stroke in 2019.
“My brother went back to work, but there was a period of time where he struggled to get the right word, and I think he is as sharp and as smart as ever,” she said. “I have seen somebody have a stroke and recover and it does take time.”
Some attendees told ABC News after the event they believed Fetterman did not look fully healthy.
Mark Rathi, 62, of Crawford County, said the candidate “seemed a little bit off his game” before adding that he supported Fetterman because of how he connects with people.
Rita Lynch, 82, told ABC News she was “glad [Fetterman] came, but I think he’s got to be careful because you could tell he was sweating a lot.”
Lynch said she hopes Fetterman’s campaign aides ease the candidate back onto the trail.
“I think it was a beginning for him, the first one since the stroke, and that’s always a challenge,” she said.
Bob Nierakto, 81, of Erie, said he was “disappointed” in what he called Fetterman’s lack of energy.
“It doesn’t matter why he lacked the energy. He just has to have it,” he said. “I was looking for the fire, I was looking for the passion, I was looking for the enthusiasm, and I was looking for him to nail it. And he didn’t nail it,” said Nierakto, adding that he was committed to voting for Fetterman in November.
“I’m waiting for him to come out so I can give him a talk,” he said with a laugh, as he stood by the exit.
(WASHINGTON) — The FBI executed an unprecedented raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday, in search of evidence that sources tell ABC News is tied to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
It’s believed to be the first search by the federal agency of the residence of a current or former U.S. president. Trump and other Republicans have sharply criticized the raid as a partisan attack and have demanded an explanation.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 12, 3:27 PM EDT
DOJ investigates potential violation of at least 3 separate criminal statutes
ABC News has obtained what appears to be the search warrant executed at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.
The warrant has not yet been posted on the docket. ABC News is not yet publishing the warrant and property receipt.
The filing, which includes two attachments (“Attachment A” and “Attachment B”) indicates that the Justice Department, in its search of the Mar-a-Lago estate, is investigating potential violation of at least three separate criminal statutes, including a statute under the Espionage Act.
Attachment B states that the property to be seized by agents includes “all physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime or other items illegally possessed” in violation of 18 USC 793, a statute under the Espionage Act involving the gathering, transmitting or loss of defense information; 18 USC 2071, which involves any federal government employee who, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies or destroys public records; and 18 USC 1519, obstruction of justice.
Under the receipt showing property that was seized from Trump’s estate, agents note they recovered 11 sets of documents of various classifications ranging from confidential to top secret and sensitive compartmented information.
The receipt identifies one set referring to “various classified/TS/SCI documents,” four sets of top secret documents, three sets of secret documents and three sets of documents described as confidential. It appears that there were 21 boxes taken.
Other items included in the receipt include one labeled “Info re: President of France,” an executive grant of clemency for Trump ally Roger Stone, binders of photos, a “potential presidential record” and a leather-bound box of documents.
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich said, “The Biden administration is in obvious damage control after their botched raid where they seized the President’s picture books, a ‘hand written note,’ and declassified documents. This raid of President Trump’s home was not just unprecedented, but unnecessary—and now they are leaking lies and innuendos to try to explain away the weaponization of government against their dominant political opponent.”
–ABC News’ John Santucci, Alex Mallin and Katherine Faulders
Aug 12, 12:43 PM EDT
House Republicans attack integrity of DOJ and FBI
Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee defended former President Donald Trump while attacking the integrity of the Department of Justice and the FBI during a press conference on Capitol Hill Friday.
“President Donald Trump is Joe Biden’s most likeliest political opponent in 2024 and this is less than 100 days from critical midterm elections,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican, said. “The FBI raid of President Trump is a complete abuse and overreach of its authority.”
Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Michael Turner, R-Ohio, told reporters that Republicans on the committee are “glad” the Department of Justice has begun the process of releasing “some” of the information about the raid to the public, but called for more. Turner said committee Republicans want access to the affidavit outlining the “imminent security threat” justifying the raid.
“Our request remains that the director of the FBI and the attorney general disclose to this committee the imminent national security threat upon which they based their decision to order a raid on the president’s home, again underscoring that there were many other options available to them,” Turner claimed. “We believe after the release today that these questions will remain unanswered.”
“The real story will be with the release of the affidavit itself,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., added. “The bureau and the attorney general and the DOJ obviously made the decision that this extreme measure was necessary. We will await their rationale for why that extreme measure was justified and not some lesser intrusive means.”
Turner did not call for the public disclosure of the underlying affidavit, which is expected to remain under seal, but did say that members of the intelligence committee and other committees of jurisdiction should have access. He called on committee Democrats to support a subpoena for this affidavit if there is non-compliance.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy dodged ABC News’ questions about whether he supports the release of the warrant authorizing the raid, instead saying he’d like to see the subpoena against Trump.
Trump received a subpoena in the spring for documents that he did not return to the National Archives, ABC News has reported. It’s unclear to what extent, if at all, he complied. The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the existence of a subpoena.
Stefanik promised a “fulsome investigation” if Republicans retake the gavel in November.
“House Republicans are committed to immediate oversight, accountability and a fulsome investigation to provide needed transparency and answers to the American people,” Stefanik said.
The group also emphasized that they’re in “full support” of those who serve in the FBI and law enforcement agencies and condemned any violence against agents, while also repeatedly calling into question the credibility of law enforcement.
Aug 12, 12:28 PM EDT
Pelosi slams GOP for rhetoric following raid
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is blasting Republicans for their rhetoric following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.
Asked by ABC News about concerns over possibly increasing levels of violence against law enforcement and public officials after recent rhetoric from the GOP, Pelosi said Friday that she knows “very well how vicious” some of those threats can be, and said they’ve been “exacerbated” by former President Donald Trump.
“You would think there would be an adult in the Republican room that would say, ‘Just calm down. See what the facts are and let’s go for that.’ Instead of … instigating assaults on law enforcement,” Pelosi said.
When asked if she wants Congress to open more investigations into the material that Trump allegedly took, Pelosi said she’s not currently making plans for that and is going to let the investigation unfold.
Pelosi said she was not briefed on any aspect of the FBI raid or what classified information was being held.
She said she only knows “what’s in the public domain,” but she added, “if the nature of these documents is what appears to be, this is very serious.”
Aug 12, 8:44 AM EDT
Washington Post: Nuclear documents sought at Mar-a-Lago
The Washington Post is reporting that classified documents related to nuclear weapons were among the items agents sought by federal agents at Mar-a-Lago.
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the Justice Department and the FBI believed Trump continued to keep sensitive classified documents that had national security implications and that in recent weeks additional information came in suggesting that Trump was not complying with requests to provide the information the Justice Department believed he had in his possession.
Aug 12, 8:00 AM EDT
DOJ believes Trump held onto sensitive classified documents and associates questioned, sources say
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the Department of Justice and the FBI believed former President Donald Trump continued to keep sensitive classified documents that had national security implications, and that in recent weeks additional information came in suggesting Trump was not complying with requests to provide the information the Justice Department believed he had in his possession.
The information was sensitive enough that authorities wanted to take it back into possession immediately.
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Alexander Mallin, Luke Barr, Katherine Faulders, and John Santucci
Aug 12, 7:07 AM EDT
Trump calls for ‘immediate release’ of search warrant
Former President Donald Trump is calling for “the immediate release” of the warrant that allowed FBI agents to search his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday.
“Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents, even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me much as they have done for the last 6 years,” Trump said late Thursday in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“This unprecedented political weaponization of law enforcement is inappropriate and highly unethical,” he added. “The world is watching as our Country is being brought to a new low, not only on our border, crime, economy, energy, national security, and so much more, but also with respect to our sacred elections!”
Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida will soon bar transgender residents from using Medicaid to pay for gender-affirming care, according to the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration. The rule goes into effect Aug. 21.
Several accredited medical institutions, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, alongside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say gender-affirming care can improve the mental health and overall well-being of gender-diverse people.
These organizations recommend gender-affirming care for the treatment of “gender dysphoria” — when a person experiences emotional distress because their assigned sex at birth and gender identity don’t align.
“Because gender-affirming care encompasses many facets of healthcare needs and support, it has been shown to increase positive outcomes for transgender and nonbinary children and adolescents,” reads guidance from HHS. “Gender-affirming care is patient-centered and treats individuals holistically, aligning their outward, physical traits with their gender identity,” the guidance continues.
However, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration changed its rules Thursday. Medicaid can no longer be used to pay for medications and surgeries of those diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the state.
A 2019 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that about 32,000 of the roughly 152,000 U.S. trans adults enrolled in Medicaid at the time lived in states that denied coverage for gender-affirming care.
AHCA proposed the change in a June memo, recommending limitations on puberty blockers, hormones, sex-reassignment surgeries and “any other procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics.”
AHCA proposed the change in a June memo, recommending limitations on puberty blockers, hormones, sex-reassignment surgeries and “any other procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics.”
Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general, also released a memo in June on gender-affirming care.
He claimed treatments like sex-reassignment surgery, and hormone and puberty blockers are not effective treatments for gender dysphoria based on three cited studies that dispute the general medical consensus on the condition.
He said federal medical guidelines are “about injecting political ideology into the health of our children. Children experiencing gender dysphoria should be supported by family and seek counseling, not pushed into an irreversible decision before they reach 18,” he said in a statement.
Almost simultaneously, the Florida State Board of Medicine voted on Aug. 5 to begin formulating a rule that would deny gender-affirming care to people under the age of 18 and require adults to consult with their doctors before receiving such care.
In a recent press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis railed against gender-affirming care.
“You don’t disfigure 10, 12, 13-year-old kids based on gender dysphoria,” DeSantis said in a recent press conference. “I think these doctors need to get sued for what’s happening.”
He also made claims that children with gender dysphoria often regret their gender-affirming care; however, a 2021 study from researchers across the country found that the total number of people who regret their care is almost non-existent.
Health care providers have told ABC News that gender-affirming surgeries are not used on minors.
These moves led to outrage from LGBTQ groups and health care providers across the country.
“Science, medicine, and evidence-based approaches have demonstrated time and time again that transition-related care is medically necessary and life-saving care, and if this proposal is adopted, it will go against the recommendation of every major medical association,” said Sarah Warbelow, Human Rights Campaign Legal Director in a statement. “The truth matters and so does protecting Florida’s youth and their families.”
Under DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has continuously battled against professional and activist-based recommendations for gender inclusivity. Recently, several of the state’s agencies openly dismissed nondiscrimination recommendations from the federal level. In July, the Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, went into effect.
Supporters of the law say that children should not be learning about gender identity and sexual orientation in grades K-3. Critics say it will silence and shame LGBTQ identities in the classroom.
(WASHINGTON) — The FBI executed an unprecedented raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday, in search of evidence that sources tell ABC News is tied to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
It’s believed to be the first search by the federal agency of the residence of a current or former U.S. president. Trump and other Republicans have sharply criticized the raid as a partisan attack and have demanded an explanation.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 12, 12:43 PM EDT
House Republicans attack integrity of DOJ and FBI
Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee defended former President Donald Trump while attacking the integrity of the Department of Justice and the FBI during a press conference on Capitol Hill Friday.
“President Donald Trump is Joe Biden’s most likeliest political opponent in 2024 and this is less than 100 days from critical midterm elections,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican, said. “The FBI raid of President Trump is a complete abuse and overreach of its authority.”
Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Michael Turner, R-Ohio, told reporters that Republicans on the committee are “glad” the Department of Justice has begun the process of releasing “some” of the information about the raid to the public, but called for more. Turner said committee Republicans want access to the affidavit outlining the “imminent security threat” justifying the raid.
“Our request remains that the director of the FBI and the attorney general disclose to this committee the imminent national security threat upon which they based their decision to order a raid on the president’s home, again underscoring that there were many other options available to them,” Turner claimed. “We believe after the release today that these questions will remain unanswered.”
“The real story will be with the release of the affidavit itself,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., added. “The bureau and the attorney general and the DOJ obviously made the decision that this extreme measure was necessary. We will await their rationale for why that extreme measure was justified and not some lesser intrusive means.”
Turner did not call for the public disclosure of the underlying affidavit, which is expected to remain under seal, but did say that members of the intelligence committee and other committees of jurisdiction should have access. He called on committee Democrats to support a subpoena for this affidavit if there is non-compliance.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy dodged ABC News’ questions about whether he supports the release of the warrant authorizing the raid, instead saying he’d like to see the subpoena against Trump.
Trump received a subpoena in the spring for documents that he did not return to the National Archives, ABC News has reported. It’s unclear to what extent, if at all, he complied. The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the existence of a subpoena.
Stefanik promised a “fulsome investigation” if Republicans retake the gavel in November.
“House Republicans are committed to immediate oversight, accountability and a fulsome investigation to provide needed transparency and answers to the American people,” Stefanik said.
The group also emphasized that they’re in “full support” of those who serve in the FBI and law enforcement agencies and condemned any violence against agents, while also repeatedly calling into question the credibility of law enforcement.
Aug 12, 12:28 PM EDT
Pelosi slams GOP for rhetoric following raid
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is blasting Republicans for their rhetoric following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.
Asked by ABC News about concerns over possibly increasing levels of violence against law enforcement and public officials after recent rhetoric from the GOP, Pelosi said Friday that she knows “very well how vicious” some of those threats can be, and said they’ve been “exacerbated” by former President Donald Trump.
“You would think there would be an adult in the Republican room that would say, ‘Just calm down. See what the facts are and let’s go for that.’ Instead of … instigating assaults on law enforcement,” Pelosi said.
When asked if she wants Congress to open more investigations into the material that Trump allegedly took, Pelosi said she’s not currently making plans for that and is going to let the investigation unfold.
Pelosi said she was not briefed on any aspect of the FBI raid or what classified information was being held.
She said she only knows “what’s in the public domain,” but she added, “if the nature of these documents is what appears to be, this is very serious.”
Aug 12, 8:44 AM EDT
Washington Post: Nuclear documents sought at Mar-a-Lago
The Washington Post is reporting that classified documents related to nuclear weapons were among the items agents sought by federal agents at Mar-a-Lago.
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the Justice Department and the FBI believed Trump continued to keep sensitive classified documents that had national security implications and that in recent weeks additional information came in suggesting that Trump was not complying with requests to provide the information the Justice Department believed he had in his possession.
Aug 12, 8:00 AM EDT
DOJ believes Trump held onto sensitive classified documents and associates questioned, sources say
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the Department of Justice and the FBI believed former President Donald Trump continued to keep sensitive classified documents that had national security implications, and that in recent weeks additional information came in suggesting Trump was not complying with requests to provide the information the Justice Department believed he had in his possession.
The information was sensitive enough that authorities wanted to take it back into possession immediately.
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Alexander Mallin, Luke Barr, Katherine Faulders, and John Santucci
Aug 12, 7:07 AM EDT
Trump calls for ‘immediate release’ of search warrant
Former President Donald Trump is calling for “the immediate release” of the warrant that allowed FBI agents to search his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday.
“Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents, even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me much as they have done for the last 6 years,” Trump said late Thursday in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“This unprecedented political weaponization of law enforcement is inappropriate and highly unethical,” he added. “The world is watching as our Country is being brought to a new low, not only on our border, crime, economy, energy, national security, and so much more, but also with respect to our sacred elections!”
