The big numbers from the Mar-a-Lago search

By Marshall Cohen, CNN
Published Sept. 1, 2022. Updated Sept. 2, 2022

Washington (CNN) — The Justice Department inquiry into former President Donald Trump’s potential mishandling of classified documents is heating up, with new court filings revealing extraordinary details about the sensitive files Trump took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago.

The National Archives and Records Administration, known as NARA, realized last year that it didn’t receive all the documents it was entitled to from Trump’s time in office. After months of negotiations, Trump voluntarily turned over a batch of material to NARA in January, 2022.

When classified documents were discovered in those boxes, the Justice Department and FBI got involved, launching a criminal investigation. Investigators served a grand jury subpoena in June, taking more materials from Mar-a-Lago. And in an unprecedented move, they executed a court-approved search warrant at the resort in August.

Along the way, federal investigators recovered hundreds of classified records from Mar-a-Lago, and the recent spate of court filings have been filled with facts and figures about the probe.

Here’s a breakdown of the most important numbers from the ongoing criminal investigation.

Materials voluntarily turned over by Trump to NARA in January 2022

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) negotiated with former President Donald Trump throughout 2021 to recover documents that he took to Mar-a-Lago while leaving the White House. Trump voluntarily turned over a batch of materials to NARA in January.

15 boxes

Trump voluntarily turned over 15 boxes of materials to the National Archives (NARA) in January. These were materials that Trump took to Mar-a-Lago while leaving the White House.

 
700+ pages

There were more than 700 pages of materials among the 184 unique classified documents found in the boxes that Trump voluntarily turned over to NARA in January.

184 classified documents

FBI agents found 184 unique classified documents in the 15 boxes that Trump voluntarily turned over to NARA in January.

67 “confidential” documents

There were 67 classified documents marked “confidential” among the materials that Trump voluntarily turned over in January. This is the lowest level of classification.

92 “secret” documents

There were 92 classified documents marked “secret.” This is the middle level of classification.

25 “top secret” documents

There were 25 classified documents marked “top secret.” This is the highest level of classification.

 

Materials turned over by Trump to DOJ under subpoena in June 2022

The Justice Department got a grand jury subpoena in May, demanding any classified materials that were still at Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s lawyers turned over some subpoenaed documents in June.

1 envelope

Trump’s lawyers handed over one Redweld envelope to the Justice Department in June, weeks after receiving a subpoena demanding any classified records that were still at Mar-a-Lago.

 
5 ”confidential” documents

There were 5 documents marked “confidential” in the envelope. This is the lowest level of classification.

38 classified documents

FBI agents found 38 unique classified documents in the envelope Trump’s lawyers turned over under subpoena in June.

16 “secret” documents

There were 16 documents marked “secret.” This is the middle level of classification.

 
17 “top secret” documents

There were 17 documents marked “top secret” in the envelope. This is the highest level of classification.

Materials seized by FBI during search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022

Suspicious that Trump didn’t fully comply with the subpoena, the Justice Department got court approval to search Mar-a-Lago. FBI agents searched the property in August and took away boxes of materials.

 
103 classified documents

The FBI found 103 classified documents among the materials seized from Mar-a-Lago during a court-approved search in August.

31 “confidential” documents

The FBI recovered 31 classified documents marked “confidential” during its search of Mar-a-Lago in August. This is the lowest level of classification.

2 binders of photos

The FBI seized two binders of photos during its search of Mar-a-Lago in August.

Dozens of FBI agents

Dozens of FBI agents were on the ground at Mar-a-Lago as part of the court-approved search in August.

54 “secret” documents

The FBI recovered 54 classified documents marked “secret” during its search of Mar-a-Lago in August. This is the middle level of classification.

18 “top secret” documents

The FBI recovered 18 classified documents marked “top secret” during its search of Mar-a-Lago in August. This is the highest level of classification.

33 boxes

The FBI seized 33 boxes of materials from Mar-a-Lago during a court-approved search in August.

 
9 hours

Federal investigators spent approximately nine hours at Mar-a-Lago while executing a search in August.