The FBI interviewed Pat Cipollone, a former counsel for ex-US president Donald Trump, along with his deputy Pat Philbin, US media reported on Tuesday.
Philbin was also interviewed in the spring, the New York Times reported, while it is yet unclear when the FBI spoke to Cipollone.
The men were responsible for handling classified documents requested by the National Archives in January 2021, reports said, when Trump left office.
The pair were contacted once officials realized some documents were missing. According to the New York Times report, Philbin attempted to retrieve the documents but was rejected.
“It’s not theirs, it’s mine,” Trump allegedly told several advisors about the request for the documents.
Neither Cipollone nor Philbin have yet commented on the reports.
The FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on August 11 over violations of the Espionage Act, according to the warrant released later.
Agents reportedly took classified documents during the search of the estate, as well as several passports, according to Trump, which were returned on Tuesday.
Trump has denied wrongdoing, claiming all documents in his possession were declassified and stored securely.
He has petitioned to unseal an affidavit used to justify the search of his estate, which the US Justice Department opposes. A Florida judge scheduled a hearing over releasing the document for Thursday.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
