Ohio Republicans want answers on FBI search at ex-President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home

Ohio Republican members of Congress expressed outrage over the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Monday search at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and said they want U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray to brief Congress on why it occurred.

 Published reports  indicate investigators were trying to determine whether Trump removed classified documents from the White House when he left office, instead of turning them over to the National Archives. The FBI executed a search warrant, which had been approved by a federal judge. The agency hasn’t commented on the search.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Champaign County, who serves as the House Judiciary Committee’s top Republican, told FoxNews that he’d like Garland and Wray to appear before his committee when Congress reconvenes on Friday to answer questions about what their warrant said and what they were looking for.

“Why not talk to President Trump and have him give the information you’re after?” Jordan said “This is unbelievable …. We deserve answers now.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner of Dayton, who serves as the top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence wrote a letter to Wray that called the raid “unprecedented” and said he’s not aware of “any actual or alleged national security threat posed by any information, data, or documents in the possession of former President Trump.

“Congress deserves immediate answers from you as to the actions you ordered,” Turner wrote. “I hereby request an immediate briefing by you to Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence concerning any national security threats used to justify your decision.”

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce of South Russell called for the FBI to immediately provide the public “with legitimate justification for this unprecedented raid on the residence of a former President.

“Only two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government,” said a statement that Joyce posted on Twitter. “They fear the continued political weaponization of the DOJ, IRS, and more. Any refusal to provide transparency or accountability regarding yesterday’s raid will confirm those fears. Neither the FBI nor the former president are above the law. However, like many of my constituents, I am skeptical that the law is being adjudicated fairly. We need answers. ‘No comment’ does not suffice.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta called for Garland and Wray to brief Congress immediately “on this unprecedented action,” and claimed that “only one side of our political spectrum is held accountable by the powers that be in Washington.” If Republicans take over the House of Representatives after November’s elections, he called for them to “thoroughly and relentlessly investigate this.

“If the FBI is brazen enough to raid the home of a former president, and possible future opponent of the current president, then every American should be concerned that federal agencies can be weaponized against them,” said a statement from Johnson.

Columbus Republican Rep. Mike Carey released a statement that called the raid “a danger to the Republic” and said it erodes faith and confidence in Garland’s Justice Department. He called for Congress to demand answers when it meets again on Friday.

“Executing a warrant against an ex-POTUS is dangerous and upends 250 years of precedent,” added a Twitter statement from Zanesville Republican Rep. Troy Balderson. “The attorney general must immediately provide the American people with justification for such an extreme measure.”

Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur released a statement that called for supporting law enforcement “in carrying out their duties to uphold the rule of law.””

“In America, no one is above the law and innocence is presumed until proven otherwise,” Kaptur said. “Justice will be served if the legal process is rigorously followed.”

When asked about the search on NBC’S Today Show, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said she doesn’t know very much about it, and expressed faith that the public will eventually learn what the FBI was looking for.

“We believe in the rule of law,” Pelosi said. “And that’s what our country is about. And no person is above the law. Not even the President of the United States. Not even a former President of the United States.”