WASHINGTON - The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate marked a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of the law enforcement scrutiny of the former president, but the Florida operation is just one part of one investigation related to Trump and his time in office.The potential legal peril from multiple quarters comes as Trump lays the groundwork for another presidential run in 2024.
He has denied any wrongdoing and worked to cast Monday's search as a weaponization of the criminal justice system and a political ploy to keep from another term in office, though the Biden White House said it had no awareness and the current FBI director was originally appointed by Trump.Here’s a look at the probes underway in different states and venues:Monday’s FBI search came as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said.
Trump himself confirmed the search publicly, with a fiery statement condemning it as "prosecutorial misconduct" and saying agents had opened up a safe in his home.While Trump didn’t say what the search was related to, the Justice Department has been investigating for months the potential mishandling of classified information.
It started after the National Archives and Records Administration said it had received 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago, including documents containing classified information.RELATED: FBI's search of Trump's Florida estate: Why now?There are multiple federal laws dictating how classified records and sensitive government documents must be handled, including statutes that make it a crime to remove such material.A search doesn’t necessarily mean criminal charges are imminent,.