Search warrant reportedly shows Trump under investigation for Espionage Act violations
Reports are flowing in Friday that former President Donald Trump is reportedly under investigation for possible violations of the Espionage Act after he removed a number of classified and presidential records from the White House and stored them at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, NBC, Fox, Politico, and others said the warrant showed agents cited three criminal statutes in order to conduct the search: 18 U.S.C. § § 793, 2071, and 1519.
18 U.S.C. 793 is the Espionage Act. Specifically, it references the willful or grossly negligent removal of information related to the national defense. 18 U.S.C. 2071 is related to the concealment, removal, or mutilation of documents, and 18 U.S.C. 1519 is related to the destruction, alteration, or falsification of documents that are part of a federal investigation.
If accurate, this would make Trump the first former president, or president period, under investigation for espionage by the United States Justice Department.
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Daily Kos has obtained a copy of the search warrant. And indeed, it does confirm that the warrant was predicated on concerns that Trump had violated the Espionage Act and other federal laws which forbid the destruction or removal of sensitive records.