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Bucks’ Fitzpatrick Says He’s Been Threatened In Wake of Trump Raid, Calls for Calm

Noting the Biden Justice Department had taken “unprecedented action” in its raid on Mar-a-Lago, former FBI agent and current Bucks County Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick urged citizens and his congressional colleagues to “weigh the weight of their words.”

In an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, Fitzpatrick said he has been contacted by the FBI and warned that “my life has been put in danger recently” in the backlash to the DOJ’s seizure of documents from the home of former President Donald Trump.

“It was an unprecedented action which needs to be supported by unprecedented justification…this has never happened before in our county’s history,” said Fitzpatrick. “Was there unprecedented justification? That remains an open question, and we know exactly where to look and that was the affidavit of probable cause and that document remains under seal.

“Because we don’t have that information I encourage all my colleagues on the left and the right to reserve judgment and not get ahead of themselves because we do not know what that document may contain. It’s going to answer a lot of questions,” he said.

The Bucks County Republican urged calm, telling host Margaret Brennan he is concerned about threats of violence to his former colleagues after the names of the FBI agents who searched former Trump’s Florida home were revealed.

“Everybody needs to call for calm across the board. And everybody needs to respect our law enforcement whether it be local, state or federal,” said Fitzpatrick. “I’m very concerned for the safety of our law enforcement officers.”

“I myself have been notified by the bureau that my life was put in danger recently by some of these same people, and violence is never the answer to anything,” he said.

Asked about the rhetoric of some Republicans in the wake of the DOJ’s actions, Fitzpatrick said the problem is bipartisan.

“It’s all my colleagues, and we’ve seen disrespect across the political spectrum, which I’ve mentioned with local law enforcement, the Supreme Court, and federal law enforcement. None of it is okay. None of it,” he said.

Fitzpatrick mentioned the 2017 attack on the Republican Congress members at a baseball practice by a Bernie Sanders supporter, the recent threats to U.S. Supreme Court members after Roe v. Wade was overturned, as well as threats to law enforcement during the riots of 2020.

Fitzpatrick has been offering measured responses to the Mar-a-Lago raid since the news first broke. “As the only FBI agent in Congress, I’ve been getting many inquiries regarding tonight’s reported enforcement action at Mar-a-Lago,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement last Monday. “I will get to the bottom of this, will follow the facts wherever they lead and will report with unimpeachable integrity. I will get to the truth.”

His Democratic opponent, government and public service sector consultant Ashley Ehasz, says that is not enough.

“So now, all of a sudden, he wants to ‘get to the truth,’ after he voted against the Jan. 6th Committee and voted against impeaching Trump twice? As a combat veteran, I was deeply disturbed by Trump’s narrative that the election was ‘stolen,’ but this former FBI agent helped cast doubt on the election results by sending a letter to the Governor alleging election fraud when it was clear the results were sound,” Ehasz said.

Asked by CBS’s Brennan about the receipt showing Trump had classified and top secret and above in boxes in his home, Fitzpatrick said, “Nobody is claiming, certainly I’m not, that it’s okay to have classified information outside of a SCIF (Secure Compartmented Information Facility). I know that better than anybody, given my former profession and current committee assignment.

“But the problem is the administration is disputing a lot of what’s being publicly reported, so the affidavit will answer that question. It will be able to tell us who is providing this information. Is it the prior administration or the current administration? We need to get that clarified.”

Brennan asked whether it would be appropriate to release it now, during an active investigation.

“I would say at the very least, Margaret, for the public consumption, they can certainly bring it into the SCIF to bring it to our house intelligence committee members,” he said. “We, after all, do have oversight over the entire intelligence apparatus. So that’s what’s puzzling to us.”

 

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DelVal Residents React to Raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Estate

According to reports on the incident, the unprecedented FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago this week was based on his alleged failure to turn over documents to the National Archives.

No criminal charges have been filed against the former president, and the DOJ has remained tight-lipped about its ongoing investigation. “President Trump and his legal team have been cooperative with FBI and DOJ officials every step of the way,” said Christina Bobb, one of Trump’s lawyers told CNN. 

Delaware Valley residents had mixed views of what occurred.

“We still don’t have all the facts yet. But no one is above the law. If we don’t stand by that, the whole democratic system is crushed. The DOJ and FBI had sound legal evidence that this had to be done and had every right to do it.” Alyce Bergbower, 75, of North Wales.

“There was some justification in the search, but we still don’t have all the facts. Although there was some significant evidence that there was a legitimate reason, I don’t think the federal government should be doing this. It sets a very bad precedent. It could insight anger and violence; it’s the last thing this country needs to create – more division. Nothing like this has ever happened before,” said Ambler resident Chris Crail, 30.

“The government overreacted with their power and authority. There was something shady going on here. There was no attorney present in the Trump home at the time of the executed search warrant.  So, what was the purpose?” said Cheryl Huey, 68,  of Orefield.

“I am not a fan of Trump. He has caused a lot of damage. The DOJ and FBI had enough information to get a search warrant, so everything must be legal about the search. It is not surprising that the Trump loyalists are upset, but I do believe that Trump took documents that he wasn’t supposed to take. Everybody needs to be above board on this. I want to see what happens,” said George Gibson, 70, North Wales.

The monthly meeting of the Pennridge Area Republican Club began with the “Pledge of Allegiance,” followed by a prayer for, among other things, Trump and his family.

“I’m not happy with the weaponization of the justice system,” said Bob Sellers, vice president of East Rockhill. “If they can do that to our president, they can do it to anyone.”

Chalfont resident Wendy Falzone called it “appalling.”

“I’m trying to understand. My thought is they’re trying to stop him from running in 2024,” said Falzone. “They’re afraid, and they should be. He’s got the MAGA people with him.”

Tony Arjona of Doylestown Borough said the raid on Trump’s home was “inappropriate” and “unfounded.”

“My moral gauge is, how would it have been received if President Trump raided President Obama’s house in Martha’s Vineyard?”

“I’m waiting to see what transpires,” said Travis Blomgren of Hilltown. “I’m interested to know what came of it. We’re still in the dark and don’t have many answers.”

 

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