WASHINGTON—FBI agents searched former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday, which people familiar with the matter said was part of an investigation into Mr. Trump’s handling of classified information.
The search was made public in a statement released by Mr. Trump, in which he said FBI agents were at his home.
“Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before,” he said in the statement. “After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.”
“They even broke into my safe!” wrote Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly suggested he will run for president again in 2024.
The search began Monday morning and lasted until the evening, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Legal historians said they couldn’t remember a case in recent history in which the FBI searched the home of a former president. The search marked an escalation of the Justice Department’s investigation into aspects of Mr. Trump’s final days in office and is expected to ripple through the run-up to November’s midterm elections.
Officials can face up to five years in prison for removing classified materials to an unauthorized location. The penalties for breaking other laws related to the removal of official records also include disqualification from holding federal office—including the presidency.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) warned that Attorney General Merrick Garland could expect an investigation into the action should the GOP win control of the House in November’s midterm election.
Many Democrats have been urging Mr. Garland to be more forceful in investigating the former president’s actions; Mr. Garland has said little publicly about the probe but told reporters recently when asked about the possibility of charging a former president that “no person is above the law in this country.”
“There has been nothing like this in recent decades,” said John Q. Barrett, a law professor at St. John’s University in New York. “When someone is out of office, he’s just a person like everyone else, living in his home and subject to obeying the law.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) was asked about the search on MSNBC Monday night and declined to comment. Trump lawyer Christina Bobb, who was present during the FBI search, confirmed federal agents “seized paper.”
In February, the National Archives and Records Administration told a congressional panel the former president had classified government records at his Florida residence, saying it was in communication with the Justice Department, which is investigating the matter. Messages left for a National Archives and Records Administration spokesman weren’t immediately returned.