The White House confirmed that the FBI had returned boxes of documents to former President Donald Trump that were taken during a search of his Florida property for classified materials after he left office. President Trump celebrated the return of the boxes on Truth Social, claiming it was a victory for justice and that he had done nothing wrong. White House staff were seen loading approximately 15 boxes onto Air Force One to return them to Trump in Florida. White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the FBI’s actions as “unlawful and illegal raids” and stated that the President was getting his property back.
Counselor to the President Alina Habba accompanied the boxes on the flight and stated they contained President Trump’s personal items that were unlawfully taken. She criticized the special counsel who had initially brought charges against Trump related to handling classified documents, calling it a hoax. The case was dismissed last year on the grounds of improper appointment and funding for the investigation, and the Justice Department dropped the charges after Trump’s election victory.
Trump had pleaded not guilty to charges of retaining national defense information, making false statements, and obstructing justice. He was also accused of conspiring to delete security video at his Mar-a-Lago resort in a superseding indictment. The Justice Department also dropped charges against Trump’s co-defendants in the case, effectively ending the prosecution. The contentions surrounding the search and seizure of the classified materials have been a focal point of ongoing legal battles between Trump and the Justice Department.
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