Republicans rage at Trump indictment in documents probe

Congressional Republicans unloaded at the Justice Department minutes after former President Donald Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents and said he would report to a Miami courthouse on Tuesday.

Senior Republicans immediately linked the prosecution to allegations made by House Republicans against family members of Biden based on sealed FBI documents based on tips that have yet to be released or verified.

“If those in power can lock up their political opponents at will, we don’t have a republic,” tweeted Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), defending Trump, leading supporters in chants of “lock.” her up’ during the 2016 campaign.

“DOJ sues former president/candidate Trump THE SAME DAY DOJ/FBI restricts access to unnecessarily redacted Biden allegations And they wonder why people think there are two standards of justice,” enraged Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, on Twitter.

Grassley spent weeks joining Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, to pressure the FBI to hand over information containing allegations about Biden.

The anger came when a source told DailyMail.con that Trump has been charged with seven counts of possession of classified documents and obstruction of justice.

House Republican Conference Chair Representative Elise Stefanik, a former Trump critic turned leading Trump loyalist, denounced the FBI and accused Biden of arming the DOJ. She, too, referred to internal document FD-1023 that the FBI shared with lawmakers this week.

“On the very same day that the FBI is forced to turn over to Congress absolutely damning and credible allegations of Joe Biden’s illegal, egregious and treacherous corruption, Joe Biden is weaponizing his Justice Department to indict Donald Trump,” he said. them in a statement.

“The American people are smart and understand that this is the embodiment of the illegal and unprecedented weaponization of the federal government against Joe Biden’s main opponent, President Donald J. Trump. The radical far left will do anything to interfere in the 2024 election to support Joe Biden’s catastrophic presidency and desperate campaign.”

She said she was determined to stamp out “putrefaction” in federal agencies and hold the FBI accountable, echoing Trump’s own words, calling it an “illegal witch hunt against President Trump.”

Trump loyalist Rep. Elise Stefanik referred to “credible allegations related to Joe Biden’s illegal, egregious and insidious corruption” and condemned the charges against Trump

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said there were “two standards of justice.”

“In 2024, we will vote like this country has never seen before and we will elect President Trump back to the White House to save America,” she said.

The decision by Special Counsel Jack Smiths’ office to file the first federal indictment against a former president is sure to spark investigation, whichever way the case goes. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith after Trump announced his candidacy for president to remove the investigation from his direct oversight.

House Republicans have been crusades against agency “weapons” and alleged FBI malfeasance since taking over the chamber.

“It’s a sad day for America. God bless President Trump,” wrote Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary who heads a special “armaments” subcommittee and has vowed to stamp out alleged bias within the FBI.

As usual, Trump was his own most forceful defender on Truth Social, writing, “The corrupt Biden administration has informed my lawyers that I have been charged, apparently over the Boxes Hoax, even though Joe Biden has 1850 Boxes at the University of Delaware . , additional Boxes in Chinatown, D.C., with even more Boxes at the University of Pennsylvania, and documents scattered across his garage floor where he parks his Corvette, and which is “secured” by only a garage door that is paper thin and open a lot of the time.”

He referred to multiple locations where material marked “secret” was found on properties linked to Biden.

That case is being investigated by another special counsel. There are differences that could weigh heavily in the president’s favor. His team says it was fully cooperative when government documents were found, and there was no search warrant or lengthy and controversial negotiations as was the case with Trump.

Trump, who is at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, called it “a DARK DAY for the United States of America.”

The FBI announced days ago that it was dropping an investigation into former Vice President Mike Pence over documents discovered on his property.

“We should dismantle and dismantle the DOJ. I stand with President Trump,” wrote Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of several Republicans subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 House Committee when the Democrats were in office.