White House declines to answer on FBI’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home
By Kevin Liptak and Maegan Vazquez, CNN
(CNN) -- The White House on Tuesday largely declined to answer questions on the FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, instead emphasizing President Joe Biden's belief in the independence of the Justice Department.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing on Tuesday that Biden was not briefed ahead of the search taking place at Mar-a-Lago and neither Biden nor any other official inside the White House was made aware of the operation ahead of time.
"No, the President was not briefed, was not aware of it. No one in the White House was given a heads up," Jean-Pierre told reporters, later adding, "We learned about this just like the American people did."
Jean-Pierre said Biden and White House officials learned about the FBI executing a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago -- Trump's Florida resort -- from public reports when the news broke on Monday. Three people familiar with the situation have told CNN that the search was made as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents, including classified documents, that may have been brought there.
The search began early Monday morning and was focused on the areas where Trump's offices and personal quarters are, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that the Justice Department conducts investigations independently, and the White House leaves law enforcement matters to them. She declined to say whether the White House is aware whether Attorney General Merrick Garland personally signed off on the search.
She added that it "would not be appropriate" for the White House to comment on ongoing criminal investigations.
Biden, Jean-Pierre said, believes in the rule of law and the independence of Justice Department investigations.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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