SMOKING GUN: FBI Found No Probable Cause to Raid Mar-a-Lago, But Biden’s DOJ Proceeded Anyway

Federal Bureau of Investigation records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request indicate that some FBI officials raised concerns about the legal basis for the August 2022 search of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

In August 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago and seized multiple boxes of documents from the property. The search occurred after earlier interactions between the National Archives and Records Administration and representatives for President Trump regarding presidential records believed to be at the residence.

Court filings later confirmed that the search plan included a standard federal law-enforcement use-of-force policy, which had been authorized by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. The operation involved dozens of agents and led to the recovery of documents that investigators believed could include classified material.

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BREAKING: @JUDICIALWATCH FOIA UNCOVERS FBI OBJECTIONS TO MAR-A-LAGO RAID! The documents also how leftist groups helped spur the targeting of President Trump over presidential records, FBI objections over there was “probable cause” to justify the planned raid on Trump’s home, and…

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) March 31, 2026

Judicial Watch announced that it obtained 207 pages of FBI records related to the investigation through a FOIA request filed on March 11, 2026. The request sought documents connected to the counterintelligence investigation known as “Plasmic Echo,” which was opened after a referral from the National Archives.

According to Judicial Watch, the records include a July 13, 2022 email exchange among FBI field agents discussing whether there was sufficient probable cause to support a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago. In the message, agents from the Washington Field Office wrote that they had suggested to the Justice Department that investigators work through President Trump’s attorney, Evan Corcoran, to retrieve additional documents rather than pursuing a search warrant.

The email states that the Washington Field Office had proposed cooperating with Corcoran as a way to ensure the return of any remaining classified materials. The message also noted that the Department of Justice disagreed with that approach and instead sought a broader search warrant covering areas of the residence, office, and storage spaces.

The same communication indicates that some FBI personnel questioned whether probable cause had been established for the search warrant. Justice Department officials, however, concluded that the legal standard had been met and moved forward with seeking authorization from a federal judge.

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SMOKING GUN: FBI agents warned no probable cause to raid Trump’s home: “WFO does not believe (and has articulated to DOJ CES [Counterintelligence and Export Control Section]), that we have established probable cause for the search warrant at Mar a Lago. DOJ has opined that… pic.twitter.com/TjA4xHcgHC

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) April 1, 2026

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the documents reveal internal debate within the FBI about the decision to pursue a search warrant.

“These documents show the FBI knew there was no probable cause, yet Biden’s Justice Department pushed forward with an abusive raid on President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home,” Fitton said in a statement. He added that Judicial Watch plans to seek additional records to further examine the investigation.

Separately, Fox News reported that emails from May 2022 suggested communication between the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice regarding an interview with Walt Nauta. Nauta, a former Navy veteran who worked as a valet and staff member for President Trump, was later indicted alongside Trump in 2023 in connection with the documents case.

At the time of the search, the Biden White House stated that President Joe Biden had no prior knowledge of the operation and said he learned about it through news reports.

The newly released emails and documents have renewed debate over the events leading up to the Mar-a-Lago search and the decision-making process inside federal law-enforcement agencies.