Internal FBI communications released by Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday reveal that bureau officials did not believe they had established probable cause to seek a search warrant for President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate ahead of the August 2022 raid.
One internal record, written by an unidentified assistant special agent, stated that the FBI’s Washington Field Office “does not believe (and has articulated to DOJ [counterintelligence]) that we have established probable cause for the search warrant for classified records at Mar-a-Lago.” The memo added that “DOJ has opined that they do have probable cause,” and was “requesting a wide scope including residence, office, storage space.”
According to the same FBI official, agents spent roughly six weeks attempting to build a probable cause case, an effort described internally as “counterproductive.” Interviews conducted during that period also failed to produce evidence that sensitive intelligence materials remained at Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, property after documents were returned on June 3, 2022.
Additional emails included in the release show that, just one week before the Aug. 8, 2022, search, senior FBI officials were exploring alternative approaches. In one message, Washington Field Office counterintelligence chief Tony Riedlinger wrote that the bureau was seeking “a second path” related to the search warrant.
Riedlinger and Washington Field Office head Steven D’Antuono were also copied on correspondence indicating the FBI hoped any search would be carried out “in a professional, low-key manner … mindful of the optics of the search.” That strategy included an attempt to secure cooperation from one of Trump’s attorneys, a step FBI officials cautioned “may not go well at DOJ.”
Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the documents public and described them as deeply troubling. In a post on X, he wrote that the records were “shocking,” asserting that the “FBI DID NOT BELIEVE IT HAD PROBABLE CAUSE to raid Pres Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home but Biden DOJ pushed for it anyway.” The Iowa Republican further argued that the emails and memos demonstrated a “miscarriage of justice” directed at Trump.
The disclosure comes after special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in June 2023 with dozens of counts tied to allegations that classified materials were improperly stored in various locations at Mar-a-Lago, including a bedroom, bathroom, ballroom, and basement. That case was later dismissed by South Florida U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith had been unlawfully appointed without congressional authorization.
{Matzav.com}
A federal judge is set to hear arguments today in a lawsuit aimed at stopping President Donald Trump’s proposed $300 million ballroom on the White House grounds, marking the first court challenge to the ambitious construction project.
The case was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues that the administration moved ahead with plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom without completing mandatory reviews or securing required approvals. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon scheduled the hearing for 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT).
According to the lawsuit, the administration bypassed laws requiring consultation with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts before dismantling the East Wing and beginning work on the new structure. The preservation group said it filed suit to compel the government to comply, at the very least, “with the procedural requirements that inform and protect the public’s opportunity to comment on the Ballroom Project.”
Opponents of the project say visible construction activity around the White House’s 120-year-old East Wing has already raised alarms and triggered backlash, with critics contending the scope of the work goes beyond what a president is permitted to undertake unilaterally.
“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever — not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else,” the National Trust’s lawsuit said.
The organization is asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order to pause construction while the case proceeds, claiming the work has already inflicted what it calls “irreversible damage” on the White House and its surrounding grounds.
In court filings submitted Monday, the administration pushed back, asserting that the project is lawful and consistent with historical precedent. Government lawyers pointed to prior presidential renovations, including Franklin D. Roosevelt’s addition of the East Wing itself, and argued that the new ballroom is necessary to accommodate official state functions. They also said the design is still being refined and that above-ground construction is not expected to begin until April, making emergency judicial intervention unwarranted.
“The President possesses statutory authority to modify the structure of his residence, and that authority is supported by background principles of Executive power,” the filing said.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has overseen a series of high-profile changes to the White House, including adding gold accents to the Oval Office and replacing the Rose Garden lawn with a paved patio reminiscent of the setting at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The outcome of today’s hearing could determine whether the ballroom project proceeds as planned or is put on hold while the legal challenge moves forward.
{Matzav.com}
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer said Tuesday that both Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are expected to comply with congressional subpoenas compelling sworn testimony regarding their ties to Jeffrey Epstein, underscoring that the panel anticipates full cooperation.
Speaking on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” Comer said the committee’s legal team is already engaged with attorneys for the Clintons, but warned that refusal to appear would have consequences. “We do expect them to have to sit down and answer questions, or they will be held in contempt,” he said.
Comer stressed that the subpoenas carry particular force because they were approved with bipartisan backing, including support from Democrats on the committee. “This is a congressional subpoena,” Comer said. “It’s a unique congressional subpoena,” he added. “It was voted on in a bipartisan manner by the House Oversight Committee … so it will stand up in court.”
According to Comer, the committee is seeking straightforward factual information that he says has never been publicly addressed by Bill Clinton. “[President] Donald Trump has answered thousands and thousands of questions about his relationship with Epstein and [Epstein’s longtime companion Ghislaine] Maxwell,” said Comer. “But Bill Clinton’s never answered a single question.”
The chairman said the testimony, originally anticipated in the coming days, has been postponed until January while logistical details are finalized. “It’ll definitely be transcribed,” Comer said, adding that lawmakers from both parties are expected to take part in questioning during the deposition.
Comer emphasized that the investigation is not alleging criminal conduct by the Clintons, but is focused on openness and accountability. “No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing, but one thing is certain: We know that Ghislaine Maxwell was at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding,” he said. “There weren’t many people at that wedding, so there was a close relationship there.”
He also took aim at Democrats on the committee, accusing them of mishandling materials connected to the Epstein investigation and politicizing the issue. “This was voted in a bipartisan manner for the House Oversight Committee to conduct this investigation,” Comer said. “The purpose of the investigation is to get some type of justice for the victims, as well as get the American people the truth.”
Instead, Comer said Democrats have attempted to undermine the effort by releasing what he described as misleading information. “It’s just been a clown show by … the Democrats on the Oversight Committee,” he said. “They release pictures, and they redact the face to make the public think that Donald Trump did something wrong when there’s no evidence that Donald Trump did anything wrong.”
Comer concluded by accusing Democrats of losing sight of the victims at the center of the case. “At the end of the day, the Democrats have proven they don’t care about the victims,” he said. “All they care about is trying to somehow hang something around Donald Trump’s neck.”
{Matzav.com}
Details emerging from the aftermath of the devastating terror assault at a Chanukah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach have intensified questions about security arrangements, government policy, and the broader climate facing Australia’s Jewish community. Officials confirmed Tuesday that just two police officers were stationed inside the park when the shooting erupted, an attack that left 15 people dead and scores injured.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the limited on-site presence while speaking to Sky News Australia, explaining that officers were assigned to the festival area at the outset. “The police were tasked with being on the site during the festival. My understanding is that there were two in the park during or at the beginning of the shooting, the assassinations,” Minns said.
According to authorities, additional officers were nearby, and patrol units converged on the scene almost immediately after gunfire began. “And there were police in the vicinity, so a patrol car pulled up within moments of the firing beginning,” Minns added. “I think it’s important to note that police, obviously, when the shooting began, did engage the shooters and there’s two in critical condition in NSW hospitals.”
Witness testimony indicates that the attackers fired into the crowd for as long as ten minutes, targeting families gathered to celebrate the Jewish festival of lights. Roughly 1,000 people were attending the open-air event. The massacre is being described as the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in the Diaspora in decades, and the most severe antisemitic assault outside Israel since October 7, 2023.
Minns said investigators are now reconstructing the movements of all law enforcement personnel in the vicinity at the time of the attack. He described a chaotic confrontation in which officers with handguns engaged assailants armed with more powerful weapons. “We have several police officers who engaged with sidearms from 50 meters [160 feet] away, firing with someone who had a long-arm and a tactical advantage over NSW Police,” he said. “So they did engage and they did shoot both of the offenders, killing one of them.”
As the investigation continues, harrowing accounts of civilian bravery have come to light. Newly surfaced video shows Boris and Sofia Gurman attempting to stop the attackers—identified as father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram—before the rampage escalated. Both Gurmans were killed. Another bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, managed to tackle Sajid Akram and wrestle away his weapon before being shot multiple times in the arm and shoulder; he remains hospitalized and is expected to recover. Reuven Morrison, 62, then threw objects at Sajid Akram after he was disarmed, only to be fatally shot by Naveed Akram.
The attack has reignited deep anger within Australia’s Jewish community over what leaders describe as years of official tolerance toward antisemitic rhetoric. Speaking at a vigil in Bondi on Tuesday, Rabbi Nochum Schapiro of North Shore Chabad said repeated warnings to the government had gone unheeded. “We begged, ‘Shut these demonstrations down, legislate for it, find the legal means,’” he told mourners, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Schapiro pointed to earlier protests where chants and threats against Jews were allegedly allowed to persist. “And those who shouted ‘Gas the Jews,’ or ‘Where’s the Jews’ – what difference does it make, same vile statements – were not prosecuted, were not stopped, were not sent out of the country, were allowed to continue with this vile hate. So we ask [politicians] now: Legislate,” he said.
He was referencing a demonstration in Sydney days after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, when police advised Jews to stay away as an Israeli flag was burned. Footage appeared to capture protesters chanting “Gas the Jews,” though New South Wales police later said they determined “with overwhelming certainty” that the chant was “Where’s the Jews.”
Schapiro also revealed that he had written to Prime Minister Antony Albanese months earlier, warning that Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood—announced in September—could have dangerous consequences. “I didn’t even get a response,” he said. “You cannot disconnect the Jewish people from the Jewish land. The Jewish people and the Jewish land are one.”
He continued, “And when you vilify the leaders of the Jewish land of Israel, and when you constantly criticize them and then say that they must give up parts of this land… that endangers Jews everywhere.” Schapiro added that, in his view, “When Israel is criticized, then the way it’s received by the antisemites is that it’s okay to attack Jews.”
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu weighed in with a direct appeal to Western governments, urging immediate action to safeguard Jewish communities worldwide. “I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to combat antisemitism and provide the required security and protection for Jewish communities around the world,” he said in a Hebrew-language video message released by his office. “They would do well to heed our warnings. I am demanding action — now.”
As Australia prepares to bury the victims, the scale of the tragedy is becoming painfully clear. The first funerals are scheduled for Wednesday, according to Simcha Greineman of the Zaka Jewish emergency service, who traveled from Israel to assist with burial preparations. Six of the 15 victims are expected to be laid to rest that day.
Greineman said Zaka volunteers only gained access to the crime scene on Tuesday, a day after arriving in Sydney, and identification work is ongoing. “We want to make sure we have whatever remains we can to conduct their rites,” he said, noting that some victims have not yet been formally identified because they were foreign nationals and lack local DNA records.
Meanwhile, international attention has turned to the background of the attackers. Authorities say the pair were inspired by the Islamic State, and investigators are examining their overseas travel and contacts. Indian police confirmed Tuesday that Sajid Akram originated from Hyderabad, saying his relatives there were unaware of any extremist activity. “The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalization,” Telangana state police said.
In Jerusalem on Tuesday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar jointly condemned the massacre, framing terrorism as a shared global danger. “Terror is a mutual threat for both countries, and we are standing always with the people of India,” Sa’ar said. Jaishankar responded that India denounces the attack “in the strongest possible terms,” adding, “We are both countries that have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism,” and expressing appreciation for Israel’s support in combating it “in all its forms and manifestations.”
{Matzav.com}
President Trump on Tuesday voiced strong support for White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, dismissing controversy surrounding comments she made in a Vanity Fair interview and emphasizing his continued confidence in her leadership.
In an exclusive interview with The Post, Trump said he was not offended by Wiles’ description of him as having an “alcoholic’s personality,” explaining that the remark aligned with how he has long described himself.
“No, she meant that I’m — you see, I don’t drink alcohol. So everybody knows that — but I’ve often said that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It’s a very possessive personality,” Trump said.
He elaborated further on that point, stressing that abstaining from alcohol was a conscious choice based on self-awareness.
“I’ve said that many times about myself. I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker. If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that — what’s the word? Not possessive — possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before.”
The remarks came in response to a Vanity Fair profile in which Wiles discussed personality traits and leadership styles.
“High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities,” Wiles said in the interview.
Trump told The Post that he had not read the article and expressed disdain for the publication itself, while praising Wiles’ performance in her role.
“I didn’t read it, but I don’t read Vanity Fair — but she’s done a fantastic job,” Trump said.
He went on to criticize the reporting and suggested the interview was mishandled.
“I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer, purposely misguided.”
When asked directly whether he maintains full confidence in his chief of staff, Trump was unequivocal.
“Oh, she’s fantastic.”
Trump also suggested that the author of the profile, Chris Whipple, may not have been transparent with Wiles about his intentions or approach.
“Yeah, deceived — and he didn’t have great access, a couple of very short interviews. And Susie generally doesn’t do interviews,” Trump said.
He concluded by reiterating his criticism of Vanity Fair and underscoring his trust in Wiles.
“If anybody knows the interviewer, and if they know Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair is a totally — it’s lost its way. It’s also lost its readers, as you know. No, she’s fantastic.”
{Matzav.com}
