# FBI Search and Seizure at Trump's Mar-A-Lago Residence, August 8, 2022, Case Dismissed July 15, 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 8, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329 "2022-08-08T23:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 403
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8066 "2024-04-19T12:56:36Z")
Glimmers of hope: > [@](#): > > Judge Aileen Cannon rejected efforts by Trump’s co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira to toss obstruction charges they faced. Nauta works as Trump’s personal valet, and De Oliveira has worked as property manager at Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago estate. > > Cannon’s 8-page ruling means that those charges will continue to march toward trial. > **[Judge rejects efforts by Trump’s co-defendants to get obstruction charges...](https://news.yahoo.com/judge-rejects-efforts-trump-co-230028969.html)** > > Special counsel Jack Smith’s obstruction case in the classified documents prosecution survived an early test, with a federal judge on Thursday denying several bids by Donald Trump’s co-defendants to dismiss charges against them. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8067 "2024-04-19T15:15:29Z")
Thanks for posting. I also think Judge Cannon is also dealing with Trumps CIPA Motion where he basically says these are the secret documents I intend to use at trial - let’s figure out what they will look like. You might imagine this could get very mess and complicated. As far as people smarter than me can tell, that appears to be going normal - no undue delays, etc. Of course, time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8068 "2024-04-19T15:18:48Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Glimmers of hope: I wouldn’t get too excited. If Cannon had granted the motions, there would no longer be any impediment to Jack Smith subpoenaing them as witnesses. And my guess is they know plenty. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8069 "2024-04-19T15:40:36Z")
But does this help Smith with potential plea deals and give them some incentive to tell everything they know? ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8070 "2024-04-19T15:45:47Z")
Yea. You have a multi-player prisoners dilemma situation happening. Except it’s made much easier here since they _effectively_ all share the same lawyers and don’t have to guess what the others are thinking. Hold tight and we’ll win, must be the thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8071 "2024-04-19T16:00:25Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > But does this help Smith with potential plea deals and give them some incentive to tell everything they know? Maybe. I don’t see any indication either are moved to cooperate, and I don’t think they would willingly cooperate even if the motions to dismiss had been granted. But they would no longer have the shield of jeopardy, either. > [@CoolHandCox](#): > > You have a multi-player prisoners dilemma situation happening. Except it’s made much easier here since they _effectively_ all share the same lawyers and don’t have to guess what the others are thinking. Hold tight and we’ll win, must be the thinking. I agree with you. Plus their lives will be made miserable by MAGA if they flip. I just don’t think that we can take anything positive from Cannon for keeping them in the case other than these rulings help her look “normal.” And I don’t believe that about her. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8072 "2024-04-24T13:33:58Z")
According to an unnamed witness, Trump was told that he could be charged with keeping classified documents, but, shockingly, he ignored the warnings. [https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4615192-trump-brushed-off-warnings-hed-be-charged-in-documents-case-unsealed-filings/](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4615192-trump-brushed-off-warnings-hed-be-charged-in-documents-case-unsealed-filings/) ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8073 "2024-04-26T01:25:56Z")
Trumps lawyers are claiming the FBI failed to search “hidden rooms”… and therefore… something? Someone clue me in. [https://www.rawstory.com/trump-mar-a-lago-documents-2667858719/](https://www.rawstory.com/trump-mar-a-lago-documents-2667858719/) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8074 "2024-04-26T01:35:58Z")
Did Donnie tell them there were hidden rooms that they were missing? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8075 "2024-04-26T01:59:35Z")
This is starting to sound like a game of Clue: “Um … Donald Trump … in the ballroom … with a forklift?” ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8076 "2024-04-26T02:22:08Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > Trumps lawyers are claiming the FBI failed to search “hidden rooms”… and therefore… something? Ha ha, you didn’t find the really good stolen documents, therefore your search is invalid. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8077 "2024-04-26T02:53:22Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Did Donnie tell them there were hidden rooms that they were missing? From the article. > [@](#): > > "As [reported by Law and Crime](https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/a-hidden-room-trump-complains-fbis-mar-a-lago-search-wasnt-intrusive-enough-after-railing-against-siege-and-unannounced-raid/), the filing is making a discovery request for any internal government communications related to the search of Mar-a-Lago that reference this hidden room that the lawyers say was known to the government ahead of the search. > > Despite its knowledge that the area existed — a number of witnesses were asked about it before the grand jury — and the fact that at the time of their search, President Trump’s bedroom was under construction and thus any boxes that had been left there would necessarily have been moved to permit the construction," the lawyers argued." So it appears the investigators knew about the “hidden room,” but not from pumpkinhead himself rather witnesses told them about it. And apparently the existence of this room and the fact that the investigators didn’t search it, combined with the fact that boxes were being moved in and out of his bedroom due to construction is some sort of defense against the allegation that they were trying to hide documents from the FBI. Completely ignoring the fact that he never should have had them to begin with. Does this make sense? Of course not. But it’s the best I could glean. Excuse me while I go take some Tylenol now. My brain hurts from trying to apply logic to another piece of trump’s BS. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8078 "2024-04-26T05:06:03Z")
Trump was in the process of building a hidden room to hide his stolen documents in. But the room wasn’t finished yet. So …. No fair, NO FAIR! (Trump stomps feet) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8079 "2024-04-26T12:26:47Z")
I found [this article](https://abcnews.go.com/US/special-counsel-questioned-witnesses-2-rooms-fbi-search/story?id=106826552) from Feb 1. The ‘hidden room’ appears to be a wiring or HVAC chase, accessed from a small door, behind a dresser in trump’s bedroom. The closet that they missed was missed because they were assured it was just a closet that the secret service had always maintained control of and they therefor decided not to break the door down. They didn’t realize that Trump had the lock on it changed and he was the only one with a key. If I have that all correct, they missed the closet and they weren’t even aware of the hidden room, and you have to keep in mind what the scope of the warrant even allowed them to access. They seem to using that to make the case that this whole thing is a political hit job for show. If they actually thought Trump had anything of importance, they would have taken it while they were there and the fact that they didn’t even search the entire place proves that. But, my question is, did they just set themselves up for another raid? I have to assume if the cops searched my house and at the hearing my lawyer said “you found a million dollars, 2 guns and 5 pounds of fentanyl, but you never checked above the drop ceiling in the basement or under the insulation in the attic” it seems to me, they’d be at my house before I was even out of court for the day. IOW, from ‘you missed these areas’ comments, I’m inferring ‘that’s we’re we keep the stuff you were looking for’, my question is, can those inferences be strong enough to get another warrant? Or, if nothing else, can Smith start asking witness what was kept in those areas and go from there? I have to assume Trump’s team using the ‘ha ha, you didn’t find my hiding spot’ defense is a hail mary since, at least to me, it seems kinda stupid to draw attention to that. Plus, even if they did miss something, they found plenty of other things. Trump’s team doesn’t seem to understand that, even if they can prove the FBI did a poor job of raiding the house, it doesn’t change anything. It’s not an all or none situation. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8080 "2024-04-26T14:44:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Trump’s team doesn’t seem to understand I will mark this as exhibit #346 in the list of things Trump’s team does not understand. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8081 "2024-04-26T14:50:48Z")
I think the “hidden rooms” are analogous to Tucker Carlson’s videotape evidence from January 6th where the insurrectionists were walking calmly down the halls: incontrovertible evidence of … nothing whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8082 "2024-04-26T16:38:38Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > Trumps lawyers are claiming the FBI failed to search “hidden rooms”… and therefore… something? Someone clue me in. I got nothing. I read the motion - it’s [here](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24602023-govuscourtsflsd6486534750?responsive=1&title=1). It’s as incomprehensible as the article. I thought they were going to argue that Trump has hidden rooms so if he really wanted to hide these documents he would use the hidden room, not just leave them out in his bedroom. When you’re grasping at straws, that’s not a terrible argument. But no. It’s just as you say. There were hidden rooms, the FBI knew about them before the search and should have searched them but did not, so, something. Maybe, they are saying the FBI already knew what was there, so…they never finish the thought…are they hinting that the docs were planted so they weren’t really “searching”? I got nothing. Or rather, another baseless motion asking for “evidence” as to delay. ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8083 "2024-04-26T18:25:35Z")
Given the stuff they found NOT in hidden rooms, what the heck was in the hidden rooms?!? ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8084 "2024-04-26T19:49:21Z")
A cask of Amontillado? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/8085 "2024-04-26T19:49:24Z")
Page 5, just above the CCTV heading is the line: > Indeed, the only explanation for this failure [to search the hidden areas] is that the SCO intends to rely on it’s ignorance of what was in Former President Trump’s residence as part of its pitch to the jury that boxes were moved for the purpose of concealing their contents from the investigation. Best as I can tell they’re saying “you purposely didn’t search the entire house specifically so you could say ‘welp, we didn’t find anything, they must’ve moved it’”. > [@StraightTalk](#): > > Given the stuff they found NOT in hidden rooms, what the heck was in the hidden rooms?!? I’m still curious if Trump gave the FBI a good reason to get a search warrant to fix this mistake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=402) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=404)