The U.S. Justice Department has requested to interview FBI officials who participated in the 2022 search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Four sources familiar with the matter stated Thursday that the requests are part of a broad inquiry into past government investigations of the president.
The inquiry is being overseen by Joe diGenova, who began leading the Florida-based investigation earlier this year. According to sources, the probe is seeking to determine if Trump was the victim of a criminal conspiracy against his rights. While the investigation previously focused on a 2017 intelligence assessment regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election, these new requests indicate the scope has expanded to include the Mar-a-Lago search.
Several former career FBI officials involved in the 2022 search for classified documents have been approached for voluntary interviews in recent weeks. The 2022 search resulted in the recovery of more than 100 classified documents and led to criminal charges against Trump for illegal retention of records and obstruction. Those charges were dismissed in 2024 after a judge ruled the lead prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed, and the Justice Department later dropped its appeal following the 2024 election.
For the individuals involved, this represents a shift from their roles as investigators to subjects of a voluntary interview process, which could potentially lead to formal testimony or legal proceedings. The probe signals a departmental focus on the conduct of the 2022 search, an event that originally centered on the handling of classified materials at a private residence. The current Attorney General, Todd Blanche, previously represented Trump in efforts to have the evidence from that search suppressed, creating a unique procedural environment for the current inquiry.
The investigation creates a precedent for the Justice Department to review and potentially litigate the origins and methods of its own concluded investigations. The knock-on effects could influence how future federal searches are conducted and how career officials document their participation in high-profile cases. At this time, it is not clear what specific charges prosecutors are exploring or how many additional officials will be contacted. The DOJ and FBI have not yet issued formal comments on the status of the interviews or any upcoming deadlines for the probe.