Some documents taken from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home were marked top secret, US media report.
Image source, Getty ImagesA warrant shows the FBI took 11 sets of classified documents from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this week, US media report.
On Thursday, the Justice Department asked a court to unseal the search warrant, a move considered rare amid an ongoing investigation.
This has not yet formally taken place, but multiple US outlets say they have seen the warrant.
Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing. He said the items were unclassified and safe.
Citing documents, the Wall Street Journal reports that items removed by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago include 20 boxes, binders of photos, and a clemency letter written on behalf of political strategist Roger Stone, a long-time Trump ally.
Also recovered was information about the “President of France”, the paper says, although it is unclear what that refers to.
The list shows that one list of documents is marked “TS/SCI” – or top-secret/sensitive compartmented information – a classification level reserved for information that could cause “exceptionally grave” damage to US security, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Additionally, the list is said to include four sets of “top secret documents”, three sets of “secret documents, and three sets of “confidential” documents.
No further details about the contents of the documents were provided.
In a statement on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the items recovered were “all declassified” and securely stored.
He said he would have been willing to hand the items over before the search warrant was carried out.
“They could have had it anytime they wanted – and that includes long ago,” he said. “All they had to do was ask.”
Monday’s search marked the first time the property of a former president has been searched as part of a criminal investigation.
Mr Trump and many of his Republican allies have condemned the move as politically motivated.