FBI agents seized 11 sets of classified documents from former President Trump’s residence earlier this week, including some so sensitive they could only be stored in special government facilities, according to reports.
Some of the items were marked “top secret,” the highest level of classification the U.S. government can label information, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing a leaked inventory detailing what was removed from Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Agents removed roughly 20 boxes along with a handwritten note, binders of folders and Mr. Trump’s clemency grant to longtime associate Roger Stone, the Journal reported. Information related to the “President of France” also was listed on the inventory.
Among the material seized in the raid were four sets of top secret documents, three sets of secret documents and three confidential documents, according to the list.
One set of documents was marked “various classified/TS/SCI documents,” which is government shorthand for “top secret, sensitive compartmented information.”
However, what was contained in those sets of classified and top secret materials remains a mystery, the Journal reported. The Washington Post reported Thursday that investigators were seeking classified documents related to nuclear weapons, but Mr. Trump has insisted that isn’t true, calling it a hoax.
The former president said all the material was no longer classified, apparently meaning that he had declassified the documents before leaving office. He said the Justice Department could have had all of the material without conducting a raid on his home.
“Number one, it was all declassified. Number two, they didn’t need to ’seize’ anything,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “They could have had it anytime they wanted without playing politics and breaking into Mar-a-Lago. It was in secured storage, with an additional lock put on as per their request. They could have had it anytime they wanted—and that includes LONG ago. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS ASK.”
Mr. Trump’s legal team has until 3 p.m. Friday to respond to a Justice Department motion to unseal the search warrant and a property receipt from the raid executed on the former president’s estate.
Mr. Trump has said he will not oppose releasing the search warrant, but his lawyers have not yet publicly filed a motion to support or stop the materials’ disclosure.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.