Lankford, Scott Demand Oversight of FBI, DOJ after Unprecedented Search of Donald Trump’s Home

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was joined by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), both members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), to send a letter calling for HSGAC Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) to hold a briefing and conduct oversight of the unprecedented recent action by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the Florida home of President Donald Trump.

The Senators wrote in their letter, “The escalation of this from negotiations with the DOJ to the execution of a search warrant where boxes of documents were removed raises many significant questions. This event deserves Congress’s oversight. As members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee we request that you arrange a briefing with the FBI, DOJ, and NARA about the nature of the search and precedent. Additional oversight measures will likely be necessary as details emerge.”

You can read the full letter HERE and below:

Dear Chairman Peters:

We write today regarding the need for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to conduct immediate oversight of the unprecedented recent actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

On Monday, August 8, the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach, Florida home of Donald Trump, former president and potential political opponent of the current sitting president. Although the search warrant is sealed, media reports have consistently tied this raid to alleged violations of the Presidential Records Act.  Compliance with the Presidential Records Act is overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which is under jurisdiction of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

President Trump and his lawyers had reportedly been in negotiations for months with NARA to resolve the matter and Justice Department (DOJ) officials had visited Mar-a-Lago just two months ago. The escalation from negotiations with the DOJ to the execution of a search warrant where boxes of documents were removed raises many significant questions.

This event deserves Congress’s oversight. As members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee we request that you arrange a briefing with the FBI, DOJ, and NARA about the nature of the search and precedent. Additional oversight measures will likely be necessary as details emerge.

Due to the weight of this matter Congress cannot be left guessing the intentions of the FBI and DOJ. This is unprecedented action and the FBI and DOJ must be fully transparent about their motivation and objectives. A members briefing must be held immediately.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter and we look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

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