After filing a motion to halt Justice Department review of items from the Mar-a-Lago raid, former President Donald Trump fired off a statement denouncing the violation of his rights under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
"We have just filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida strongly asserting my rights, including under the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution, regarding the unnecessary, unwarranted, and un-American break-in by dozens of FBI agents, and others, of my home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida," Trump's statement Monday read.
"They demanded that the security cameras be turned off, a request we rightfully denied. They prevented my attorneys from observing what was being taken in the raid, saying 'absolutely not.' They took documents covered by attorney-client and executive privilege, which is not allowed. They took my passports. They even brought a 'safe cracker' and successfully broke into my personal safe, which revealed…nothing!"
Trump outlined the details of his motion against the U.S. government in his statement.
"We are now demanding that the Department of 'Justice' be instructed to immediately stop the review of documents illegally seized from my home," his statement continued. "All documents have been previously declassified.
"We are demanding the appointment of a special master to oversee the handling of the materials taken in the raid.
"We are further demanding that the DOJ be forced to turn over a real, without 'plants,' inventory of my property that was taken and disclose where that property is now located. We are demanding that all items wrongfully taken from my home be immediately returned."
Trump also denounced the partisanship of U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the affidavit the FBI used to conduct the Mar-a-Lago raid on the former president's private residence.
"The wrongful, overbroad warrant was signed by a magistrate judge who recused himself just two months ago, from a major civil suit that I filed, because of his bias and animus toward me," Trump's statement continued.
"This Mar-a-Lago break-in, search, and seizure was illegal and unconstitutional, and we are taking all actions necessary to get the documents back, which we would have given to them without the necessity of the despicable raid of my home, so that I can give them to the National Archives until they are required for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum.
"I will never stop fighting for the American people, our country, and the rule of law.
"Make America Great Again!"
In response to Trump's motion, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the government "will file its response in court."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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