Freshly surfaced FBI memos are raising new questions about how much President Joe Biden and his team knew in the runup to the August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago. The documents, described as internal bureau files, suggest the White House was talking with federal agencies months before agents showed up at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, adding another wrinkle to the long-running fight over who knew what, and when.
What the memos say
According to Just the News, the memos contain language indicating that planning for the operation was “dependent upon the timeline of President Biden's brief.” They also state that the White House “would not object to waiving his predecessor's claims to executive privilege.” The outlet published what it says is a PDF of the memo drawn from FBI records.
Timeline and contacts
The memos appear to outline a series of April 2022 conversations among then White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su, the FBI, the Justice Department and the National Archives that took place after Trump voluntarily sent 15 boxes of presidential records back from Mar-a-Lago. KEYE/CBS Austin reported on the memos Sunday and noted that Trump later shared the report on Truth Social.
White House response then and now
The Biden White House and the Justice Department have previously said they were not involved in the decision to conduct the Mar-a-Lago search. At the time, Biden told reporters, “I didn't have any advance notice. None. Zero. Not one single bit,” while press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration learned of the search at the same time the public did, according to CBS News.
Oversight and next steps
Republican lawmakers have seized on the newly reported memos as part of their broader oversight of the prosecutions that grew out of the Mar-a-Lago investigation. The House Judiciary Committee previously subpoenaed former Special Counsel Jack Smith and held a closed-door deposition late last year, as reported by the AP. Lawmakers are still pressing for internal documents and testimony tied to those probes.
Political fallout
Trump’s decision to share the report on Truth Social quickly turned the memos into political ammunition for his allies, who argue the documents show the White House misled the public about its role. The memos are likely to be waved around in hearings and campaign talking points, even as legal experts caution that internal notes by themselves do not prove criminal intent.
For now, the memos simply add more paper to an already towering stack of records and statements that have been pored over for nearly two years. They are almost certain to prompt fresh demands on the administration for emails, memos and testimony, as lawmakers on both sides push for answers. This story will be updated as any official responses or additional documents emerge.
