The White House on Tuesday blasted the Biden administration for what it called the “weaponization of law enforcement” after President Donald Trump declassified a cache of internal FBI emails. The emails, obtained by Fox News Digital, reveal that agents in the Washington Field Office (WFO) doubted they had probable cause to obtain a search warrant for former President Trump’s Mar‑a‑Lago estate in August 2022.
FBI agents raised doubts months before the raid
Between May and July 2022, a series of internal messages show WFO agents repeatedly asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reconsider the need for a raid. One email dated May 24, 2022, titled “PE (Plasma Echo) Next steps – timeline preference – UNCLASSIFIED,” outlined a proposed investigation timeline that would culminate in a warrant execution on June 6. The same agent later wrote that a conversation with the former President’s attorney should not be discounted, noting that if the documents were already declassified, they remained sensitive and should be secured.
Another exchange on June 1‑2, 2022, suggested an “off‑ramp” from the investigation, urging the FBI to explore alternatives to a search warrant. The agents expressed frustration that the DOJ, led at the time by Attorney General Merrick Garland, was unresponsive and seemed eager to proceed with a broad raid.
FBI admits lack of probable cause
In a July 13, 2022 email, the assistant special agent in charge of the WFO plainly stated, “WFO does not believe (and has articulated to DOJ CES) that we have established probable cause for the search warrant at Mar‑a‑Lago.” The agent further criticized the DOJ’s focus on a wide‑scope warrant, calling the five‑week debate over probable cause “counterproductive” to the goal of protecting classified information.
The emails also reveal that the FBI tracked then‑White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ phone and monitored the movements of Melania and Barron Trump, adding to concerns about political motivations.
White House response
President Trump’s administration framed the declassified emails as proof that the Biden DOJ was used to target political opponents. “Spying on political opponents is weaponization of law enforcement, plain and simple,” the White House said. “This is further proof the Biden administration weaponized the DOJ to target political opponents. Those responsible must be held accountable.”
Critics of the Biden administration argue that the raid was politically driven, noting that Trump was already considering a 2024 presidential run at the time. Supporters of the Trump administration point to the internal FBI doubts as evidence that the raid lacked a solid legal foundation.
Legal context
Special counsel Jack Smith, appointed by the DOJ, later investigated the classified‑document matter. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony counts, including willful retention of national defense information and obstruction of justice. A superseding indictment added three more charges after Trump won the 2024 election.
While the investigation continues, the newly released emails give the White House a concrete basis to claim that the Biden administration misused federal law‑enforcement powers for partisan ends.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
