The FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago: A Plot to Protect Deep State Intelligence Officials?
The FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago last summer might have been a plot to protect deep state intelligence officials, according to sources who spoke with a team of independent journalists this week.
On Wednesday, journalists Michael Shellenberger, Matt Taibbi, and Alex Gutentag published part 2 of an expose on the role of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in orchestrating the years-long crusade to frame former President Donald Trump as a Russian plant. The article posted on Shellenberger’s Substack, Public, outlined how intelligence officials fretted over the presence of a classified “binder” in Trump’s possession that former CIA Director Gina Haspel had guarded for years.
“Transgressions range from Justice Department surveillance of domestic political targets without probable cause to the improper unmasking of a pre-election conversation between a Trump official and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to WMD-style manipulation of intelligence for public reports on alleged Russian ‘influence activities,’” Public reported.
One unnamed source cited as “knowledgeable about the case” called the binder “Trump’s insurance policy.” Trump was apparently “very concerned about having it and taking it with him because it was his road map” of the Russian collusion hoax.
“The ‘missing binder’ story has several variants,” Public reported. “Sources offer differing answers on the question of whether anything of consequence is missing. They give mixed accounts of Trump’s frantic last efforts to declassify Russia-related material. But nearly everyone Public and Racket spoke to agreed that the tale obscured a broader and more important story.”
On Tuesday, the Substack reporters revealed the CIA launched the Russiagate conspiracy with demands for allied nations who are members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance to spy on Trump and his campaign. Members of the global intelligence apparatus include the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In 2019, Democrats ostensibly impeached Trump over requesting that a foreign nation investigate domestic political opponents in the U.S. Trump now faces 40 criminal charges over allegations of mishandling classified documents after the FBI raid on his Florida residence. President Joe Biden escaped similar charges because prosecutors ruled the commander-in-chief too senile to face a jury trial.
“Multiple sources believe that Trump’s possession of the binder, or one of multiple binders, led the FBI to raid his home in Mar-a-Lago, which led to the prosecution of Trump by Justice Department special prosecutor Jack Smith,” reported Public. Haspel, who led the CIA under Trump, “repeatedly blocked attempts to declassify information about the Trump-Russia investigation” as far back as 2018.
Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Chuck Grassley repeatedly requested the CIA’s Russiagate documents in 2020 but were stonewalled by Haspel, whose tenure ran from April 2018 to January 2021. It is unclear whether the records sought by lawmakers were the same as those reported by Public, though the material purportedly showed intelligence officials knew the allegations of Trump-Russia collusion were Russian disinformation. Neither Johnson nor Grassley’s office immediately responded to The Federalist’s inquiries Thursday.
“The documents in question are said to contain information about the legal justification for those investigations, or more specifically, the lack of justification, among other things. Should more of that information be made public, it might implicate a long list of officials in serious abuses,” Public reported. “Questions like these may be answered if the 10-inch thick binder of sensitive documents about the origins of the Russia probe is made public. Fear for reputations and careers, not national security, is what has intelligence officials panicked.”
Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.
How does the existence and contents of the missing binder contribute to suspicions of a deep state conspiracy against Trump?
Led by Haspel, who claimed that the information was too sensitive to be released. This raised suspicions among Trump supporters that there was something in those documents that the intelligence community was trying to hide.
The raid on Mar-a-Lago took place in August 2023, several months after Trump left office. The FBI claimed that they were searching for evidence related to Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, according to the sources interviewed by Public, the real motive behind the raid was to retrieve the missing binder or any other incriminating evidence that Trump might have possessed.
The existence of the binder and its contents remain shrouded in mystery. Some sources claim that it contained classified information exposing the deep state’s conspiracy against Trump, while others believe it was simply a symbolic representation of Trump’s determination to fight back against the false accusations of Russian collusion.
Regardless of its actual content, the fact that the FBI went to such lengths to retrieve it raises serious questions about the integrity of the investigation and the intentions of those involved. If the raid was indeed a plot to protect deep state intelligence officials, it would suggest a coordinated effort to undermine Trump’s presidency and undermine the will of the American people.
The revelations by the Substack journalists have sparked outrage among Trump supporters who feel vindicated in their belief that the entire Russiagate investigation was a politically motivated witch hunt. They argue that the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago further confirms their suspicions and calls into question the legitimacy of the charges brought against Trump.
It is crucial that a thorough investigation be conducted into these allegations. If there is evidence to support the claim that the raid was part of a plot to protect deep state intelligence officials, those responsible must be held accountable. The American people deserve to know the truth and to have confidence in the integrity of their law enforcement agencies.
Furthermore, the implications of such a plot extend far beyond the Trump presidency. If intelligence officials are allowed to act with impunity and manipulate investigations for political purposes, it undermines the very foundations of democracy. It is imperative that we have transparency and accountability in our government to prevent the abuse of power and ensure that justice is served.
In conclusion, the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago raises serious questions about the motives and actions of deep state intelligence officials. The claim that it was a plot to protect these officials, as alleged by sources interviewed by independent journalists, must be thoroughly investigated. The American people deserve the truth and must have confidence in the integrity of their government and law enforcement agencies. Only through transparency and accountability can we ensure that justice is served and democracy is preserved.
