Does Donald Trump's probe involve violations of Espionage Act? All you need to know

The warrant and related materials, unsealed by a judge on Friday (August 12), revealed that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents recovered multiple documents, including those marked "top secret" during the search of former President Donald Donald Trump's Florida estate.

The US Justice Department stated that it has probable cause to believe he violated the Espionage Act.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The US District Court for the Southern District of Florida unsealed the search warrant and property receipt from the search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach earlier this week.

What's the investigation all about?

Trouble mounts for the former US president as the FBI probes his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The investigation accelerated dramatically when Trump revealed on August 8 that the FBI had raided his home.

Boxes filled with sensitive documents were removed from the property by the agents during the unprecedented search. It was the first time in the history of America that a former president's home was searched as part of a criminal investigation.

ALSO READ |Polio outbreak in New York? Two cases within weeks; last case before this was in 2013

The investigation is related to the documents that Trump allegedly removed from the White House when his presidential term was ending in January 2021.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recovered 15 boxes of presidential documents from Mar-a-Lago, earlier this year.

What did the search warrant reveal?

The warrant in the raid was unveiled on August 12. The US Justice Department said that including the "top secret" ones, the FBI agents removed a total of 11 sets of classified documents.

The unsealed seven-page federal court filing stated that apart from some of the papers being marked "top secret", there were papers that were "meant to be only available in special government facilities."

The search warrant also revealed that the FBI agents took more than 30 items including more than 20 boxes, binders of photos, a handwritten note and the executive grant of clemency for Trump's ally and longtime adviser Roger Stone. Unknown information about the "President of France" was also included in the list.

ALSO READ |Salman Rushdie stabbed '10 to 15 times' in neck: Eyewitness shares horrific details

What can we understand from the 'top secret' document?

In the United States, "Top secret" is the highest level of classification. It is basically reserved for the country's most closely held national security information. It is understood that disclosure of such documents could cause grave damage to national security.

WATCH |WION Fineprint: Why online privacy is a myth in the Post-Roe world

Who approved the search?

Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is the country's top law enforcement officer, said that he had "personally approved" the raid on Trump's home. The highly unusual move to unseal the search warrant was announced by him only.

What is Espionage Act?

In its warrant application, Justice Department told US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart that it had probable cause to believe that Trump violated the Espionage Act.

It is a federal law that prohibits the possession or transmission of national defence information.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.