A Justice Department official admitted that President Trump “would be arrested tomorrow” if he weren’t in office, following the discovery of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
A new book excerpt by Washington Post investigative reporter Aaron C. Davis and former White House reporter Carol Leonnig reveals that DOJ officials agreed Trump should face arrest after uncovering a trove of “gravely sensitive” documents in August 2022.
FBI agents reportedly found hundreds of top-secret records spread throughout Trump’s office, residence, and even his bathroom shower during the surprise raid. Officials warned that in the wrong hands, these documents could put American operatives at risk.
“If it was anybody else, we would arrest him tomorrow,” said Julie Edelstein, the Justice Department’s top expert on the mishandling of classified records, at the time.
Handling classified documents improperly—and attempting to conceal them—are federal crimes. Yet Trump initially escaped charges, largely because of his position.
It wasn’t until Special Counsel Jack Smith took over the case a year later that Trump faced 37 felony counts tied to the mishandling of classified records. What began as a seemingly straightforward case quickly collapsed when a Trump-appointed judge dismissed the charges.
Trump has insisted the Mar-a-Lago raid was politically motivated. Last month, he filed administrative claims seeking “damages” over the search, arguing he was “damaged very greatly” by the investigations. He is now demanding $230 million from the DOJ.
Trump has pledged to donate any funds he receives to charity—or, as he has hinted, to finance his new White House ballroom.
Neither the White House nor the Justice Department immediately responded to requests for comment.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described the court-approved search as illegal, according to MSNBC. “The Biden DOJ’s raid on President Trump’s home was highly illegal and yet, MSDNC continues to provide cover for the witch hunt against the President,” Jackson said. “This is another perfect example as to why the American people no longer trust the media.”
