'Law enforcement had serious concerns': Reporter reveals FBI gained access to Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage

A new report is shedding more light on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) findings during the search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. According to CNN, new details have emerged about the FBI gaining access to Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage.

During Wednesday's segment of CNN's "At This Hour" with host Kate Bolduan, Katelyn Polantz offered a brief update on what transpired at the former president's estate on Tuesday, August 9.

"There were new details about FBI's Florida home," Bolduan said. "CNN has learned from investigators that the former president or his team did not return the government documents that were taken when they left the White House."

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Polantz chimed in with further details about what was retrieved during the search. "It's been two days since the search and we are learning more about what prompted it in Mar-a-Lago on Monday," Polantz explained.

"So, law enforcement had serious concerns about what was happening there on the Trump side," she noted. "Back in January, the national archives went to Florida to reclaim 15 boxes of records from the Trump presidency that were not Trump's to keep. So, we knew that."

Polantz added, "And then that incident launched this criminal investigation into the handling of classified records. Then this week, of course, the DOJ goes back in with a search warrant for more boxes and documents and those records, if they had gotten out, could have national security implications and that's according to our sources now."

The CNN correspondent went on to share details about the surveillance videos the FBI gained access to at the former president's estate. "So we also know in this investigation that federal authorities subpoenaed and received access to Mar-a-Lago's surveillance videos so that they were able to understand the security around these documents in recent weeks," she said.

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"On top of that, sources tell Pamela Brown, Caitlin Collins, and I that they weren't being entirely truthful with them in recent months as law enforcement was working on the problem where Trump still had these presidential records in his possession," Polantz said, adding, "So, on the Trump side of things, we now understand that advisers around him thought the investigation until essentially Monday was stalled out; that it had gone silent."

She also noted the angle Trump's team may take in an effort to defend him. "Now their argument, we believe, will be that Trump didn't keep documents with national security secrets at Mar-a-Lago because when he was president they're saying he declassified them," she said.

Polantz concluded with a small disclaimer as she emphasized that direct details about the nature of the investigation still remain unknown. "But just a reminder here, we don't fully know what the Justice Department is investigating. That's how these things work. Investigations take time and happen in secret and we are looking for more, but right now most of those details are under seal."

Watch the video below or at this link.

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