Trump's seized passports could be a problem for him, legal experts say
The FBI initially seized some of former president Donald Trump's passports at Mar-a-Lago. Where they were found could spell trouble for him, legal experts say.
Donald Trump has complained that FBI agents' seizure of his passports showed that investigators ran amok as they searched his Florida resort, but new information about how and where the documents were found could spell major trouble for the former president, legal experts told NBC News.
In a footnote in Tuesday's court filing pushing back against Trump's demand for a special master to sort through the evidence that was seized at his Mar-a-Lago property, Justice Department officials countered his contention that it was an overreach to take three passports that were later returned.
Consistent with the terms of the search warrant, the Justice Department said in the filing that "the government seized the contents of a desk drawer that contained classified documents and governmental records commingled with other documents."
Will former President Trump be prosecuted following the Mar-a-Lago search?Aug. 31, 202202:00"The other documents included two official passports, one of which was expired, and one personal passport, which was expired," it said. "The location of the passports is relevant evidence in an investigation of unauthorized retention and mishandling of national defense information."
NBC News legal analyst Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney, said the reason the passports are "relevant evidence" is clear — they point directly to Trump.
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