'Serious concerns' raised over internal DOJ battle over Trump investigation

A Washington Post report last week that detailed an internal squabble between the Department of Justice and FBI officials over the limits of investigating Donald Trump should raise concerns, according to a former senior FBI department assistant director.

Frank Figliuzzi, who served in the counter intelligence division, writes in a new MSNBC column that while battles over how to proceed with cases are normal, the Trump dust-up appears to have its genesis in push-back from the former president that has made some officials hesitant.

According to the Post, "Prosecutors argued that new evidence suggested Trump was knowingly concealing secret documents at his Palm Beach, Fla., home and urged the FBI to conduct a surprise raid at the property. But two senior FBI officials who would be in charge of leading the search resisted the plan as too combative and proposed instead to seek Trump’s permission to search his property, according to the four people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive investigation."

As Figliuzzi notes, it appears fears of Trump's wrath are hindering what should be a thorough investigation -- in this case over stolen government documents at Mar-a-Lago that the former president refused to turn over even after receiving a lawful subpoena for them.

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"Why did this happen? How did the FBI get to the point where some of its field office officials reportedly lost the compass that’s supposed to point them to the correct path? Why was there such a protracted delay in seeking and executing the Mar-a-Lago warrant, and why were some FBI agents reportedly wanting to treat the Trump case differently than other cases involving an uncooperative, deceptive former government employee?" he asked.

According to the former FBI official, Trump's "bullying" appears to be working.

"Some FBI agents may have been responding to growing perceptions that their beloved institution had become too political. Some may have been remembering the unfair treatment of previous FBI agents and leaders who got on the wrong side of Trump, and still others may have been acting out of political allegiance with the former president," he suggested.

He then added, "If agents like that are assigned to one of the highest-profile cases in FBI history — it’s time to find some new agents."

"Trump’s allies like to claim that the FBI is at war with him, but agents’ reported reluctance to aggressively investigate him, as they would anyone else, reminds us that Trump has long been at war with the FBI," he continued. "His tactics may have succeeded in eroding the public’s confidence in the bureau, and even some agents' confidence in themselves. But Mar-a-Lago was still searched. So it’s way too early for Trump to declare victory."

You can read more here.