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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a new proposal Thursday to cut greenhouse gas emissions from thousands of power plants burning coal or natural gas, two of the top sources of electricity across the United States. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), criticizing the “radical” proposal, issued his own scorched earth ultimatum on Wednesday ahead of the announcement.

Manchin, chair of the Senate Energy Committee and the top recipient of contributions from the oil and gas industry during the 2022 election cycle, vowed Wednesday to oppose every one of President Joe Biden’s nominees for the EPA “until they halt their government overreach.”

“This Administration is determined to advance its radical climate agenda and has made it clear they are hellbent on doing everything in their power to regulate coal and gas-fueled power plants out of existence, no matter the cost to energy security and reliability,” Manchin wrote in a statement released Wednesday.

The EPA proposal would require most fossil fuel-fired power plants to slash their greenhouse emissions by 90% between 2023 and 2040. The EPA projects the emissions reduction would deliver up to $85 billion in climate and health benefits over the next two decades by heading off premature deaths, emergency room visits, asthma attacks, school absences and lost workdays.

“Alongside historic investment taking place across America in clean energy manufacturing and deployment, these proposals will help deliver tremendous benefits to the American people — cutting climate pollution and other harmful pollutants, protecting people’s health, and driving American innovation,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement issued Thursday.

By 2035, the Biden administration aims to shift all electricity in the U.S. to zero-emission sources including wind, solar, nuclear and hydropower, Roll Call reported. In a written statement, Manchin warned the administration’s “commitment to their extreme ideology overshadows their responsibility to ensure long-lasting energy and economic security.”

Manchin is up for reelection during the 2024 election cycle, but he has not yet announced whether he will run.

Last month, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced his campaign for Manchin’s seat. The Democrat-turned-Republican is among the most popular governors in the country and leads a state former President Donald Trump won by nearly 40 percentage points in 2020.

Manchin has hammered the Biden administration in recent weeks for its implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the president’s signature climate change bill that the Democratic senator was instrumental in shaping.

“Neither the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law nor the IRA gave new authority to regulate power plant emission standards. However, I fear that this Administration’s commitment to their extreme ideology overshadows their responsibility to ensure long-lasting energy and economic security and I will oppose all EPA nominees until they halt their government overreach,” Manchin said in his Wednesday statement.

What Manchin did not disclose in his statement, however, is that the EPA proposal would jeopardize one West Virginia coal facility that’s particularly lucrative for Manchin’s family business, Enersystems Inc., POLITICO reported. Enersystems delivers waste coal to the Grant Town power plant, which was reportedly already struggling financially, troubles that are expected to deepen with the strict new climate proposal.

Manchin personally received $537,000 from Enersystems last year, according to POLITICO’s analysis of personal financial disclosures filed with the U.S. Senate, and he has been paid more than $5 million by the company since he was first elected in 2010. His son, Joe Manchin IV, now runs Enersystems. The Senator’s campaign has also benefited from political contributions from Enersystems, OpenSecrets reported last year.

“This is going to make it harder for them to stay around. You won’t find written anywhere in the rule that this is supposed to be putting coal plants out of business, but just do the math,” Brian Murray, director of the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University, told POLITICO.

In 2020, Manchin’s home state of West Virginia generated about 90% of its power from coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. By contrast, less than 20% of the energy generated nationally comes from coal. Many states, including neighboring Virginia, are phasing out coal by replacing it with natural gas.

While the U.S. may show signs of moving away from coal, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told the Senate Energy Committee earlier this month that the country was not prepared to abandon coal and maintain a reliable energy system.

“Coal is more dependable than gas and yes, we need to keep coal generation available for the foreseeable future,” said Commissioner Mark Christie.

Manchin took another swipe at the EPA on Thursday during an energy committee hearing on permitting reform, when he accused the agency of preventing the development of carbon capture technology by denying companies the permits they need to trap captured carbon underground.

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to invest in carbon capture sequestration when we can’t get a permit to basically sequester the carbon captured,” Manchin said. “This is the game that’s being played. I know it, they know I know it, and we’re not gonna let them get away with it.”

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don-lichterman · 2 years

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Gov. Jim Justice: 1/6 Hearings Are ‘Political Theater’ | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Photo via screengrab Gov. Jim Justice on Monday makes a point during a virtual briefing this week with West Virginia reporters. <!– SHOW ARTICLE –> CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice this past week called the hearings into the attempted overturning of a presidential election “political theater.” The hearings are being driven by political forces, including Democratic leadership, Justice said…

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#Community #Gov #Gov. Jim Justice: 1/6 Hearings Are ‘Political Theater’#Hearings #Jim #Jobs #justice #News #political #sports #Theater

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dosesofcommonsense · 3 months

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NEW — There are now 25 states standing in solidarity with the great state of Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott against the lawless Joe Biden:

Wyoming - Gov. Mark Gordon

Iowa - Gov. Kim Reynolds

Arkansas - Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Montana - Gov. Greg Gianforte

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Idaho - Gov. Brad Little

North Dakota - Gov. Doug Burgum

Nebraska - Gov. Jim Pillen

West Virginia - Gov. Jim Justice

Alabama - Gov. Kay Ivey

Tennessee - Gov. Bill Lee

Louisiana - Gov. Jeff Landry

Georgia Gov. - Brian Kemp

Utah - Gov. Spencer Cox

Virginia - Gov. Glenn Youngkin

South Dakota - Gov. Kristi Noem

Oklahoma - Gov. Kevin Stitt

Alaska - Gov. Mike Dunleavy

Indiana - Gov. Eric Holcomb

Nevada - Gov. Joe Lombardo

New Hampshire - Gov. Chris Sununu

Mississippi - Gov. Tate Reeves

Missouri - Gov. Mike Parson

Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWine

South Carolina - Gov. Henry McMaster

Please encourage these men and women and tell them THANK YOU.

Remember, they can't arrest us all!

https://thefederalist.com/2024/01/25/here-are-all-the-states-standing-with-texas-against-bidens-border-assault/

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kp777 · 2 years

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By Pema Levy

Mother Jones

May 21, 2022

Florida textbooks may no longer teach “social justice,” according to new state guidance, part of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ongoing attack on pluralistic democracy.

The guidance, which was recently updated but is undated, states that “social justice” is now one of the topics that are prohibited in state-approved textbooks for K-12 social studies classes. According to Politico, which reported on the new criteria, textbook publishers have until June 10 to submit social studies proposals. The DeSantis administration recently rejected math textbooks for including “impermissible” topics—a warning shot to publishers that the state will make political hay by rejecting textbooks with even a hint at the fact that America is not a perfectly fair, racism-free country.

Social justice generally refers to the movement for equality in American society and against unfair treatment and unequal opportunities, and is often associated with movements against racism, sexism, and anti-LBGTQ rights. Clearly, Florida Republicans want to keep such movements out of Florida classrooms. The new rules do not actually define social justice but merely include three prohibited ideas:

Potential Social Justice components include:

Seeking to eliminate undeserved disadvantages for selected groups.

Undeserved disadvantages are from mere chance of birth and are factors beyond anyone’s control, thereby landing different groups in different conditions.

Equality of treatment under the law is not a sufficient condition to achieve justice.

Under this definition of social justice, Florida textbooks cannot actually explain or acknowledge that some people in society receive better treatment and advantages than others. Because the guidance leaves the scope of social justice open-ended, publishers will likely go beyond this definition in order to meet the state’s new criteria.

The guidance also bans inclusion of critical race theory, social and emotional learning, and “any other unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination”—using a broad approach to suppress any attempt to acknowledge the ongoing presence of discrimination.

The list of topics included under the CRT prohibition makes clear that Florida classrooms must not acknowledge that there is any lasting effect from slavery, Jim Crow, or other forms of oppression in American life. Complying textbooks would have to convey that any pesky problems like racism and segregation have been solved. In this way, the textbooks will reflect the restrictions placed on teachers by the “Stop WOKE Act,” which DeSantis signed last month. That law restricts how teachers, college professors, and employee trainings discuss race, oppression, and the country’s founding, with language that’s identical to that of the textbook restrictions.

If the “Stop WOKE Act,” which is being challenged in court, stands, alongside the textbook restrictions, then Florida classrooms will present a distorted image of American history and society today, one where everyone has an equal shot at success and the vestiges of oppression have fallen away. When the students step out into the Florida sunshine, however, they will still live in today’s America, one made even more oppressive and authoritarian by their own schools.

#social justice #critical race theory #florida #republicans #politics #equality #education

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 11 days

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The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned a West Virginia law that banned boys identifying as girls from competing against girls in sports.

In a 2-1 ruling, the three-judge panel said the law, called the Save Women’s Sports Act, violates Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. Gov. Jim Justice signed the bill into law in 2021.

The West Virginia case involved a 13-year-old male who has identified as a girl since the third grade and has been taking puberty blockers for more than five years. The child competed on girls’ teams during elementary school but would not have been allowed to...

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republicansaredomesticterrorists · 1 year

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Manchin has been cosplaying as a Republikkkan only to be taken out by an actual Republikkkan.

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maturemenoftvandfilms · 1 year

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Bob Huggins American Basketball Coach

Huggs and Governor Jim Justice... yes please.

On a Side Note: Gov. Justice. Damn, what a big man and why do I want to fuck him in front of his dog

#Bob Huggins #american actor #handsome daddy #husky daddy #daddy #suited daddy #suit & tie #basketball coach #college basketball coach #CILF #Jim Justice #american politician #celebrities #politician #silverfox #silverdaddy

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gwydionmisha · 1 year

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#West Virginia #Public Broadcasting #Jim Justice #War on Truth #News

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beardedmrbean · 9 months

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — City councilors in West Virginia's Democrat-controlled capital city voted against a proposal from the state's long-time abortion provider to start a syringe service program in one of the country's most opioid-devastated areas.

The 17 to 9 vote on Monday came two years after the council and the Republican-controlled state Legislature passed regulations restricting the programs, which are supported by the Centers for Disease Control as scientifically-proven methods to curb drug use and prevent the spread of infections like hepatitis c and HIV. The opposition said they feared the program would bring increased drug use and crime into Charleston's west side, a low-income area that has suffered from redlining and historic disinvestment.

Supporters of the Women's Health Center of West Virginia said drug use is already prevalent and that a syringe service program would help more people get into recovery in the community, which has also historically seen the city’s highest percentage of emergency overdose calls.

The meeting was the latest development in a years-long, highly contentious battle for recognition of what is considered medical best practice for harm reduction in substance use disorder and its intersection with poverty, race, and economic equity in West Virginia’s capital city.

“Our city is dying — it's our responsibility to do something about it," said Republican Frank Annie, a sponsor of the proposal and a research scientist specializing in cardiovascular health at Charleston Area Medical Center Memorial Hospital.

Annie, who represents the more affluent South Hills and was working with a coalition of all-Democratic councilors, spoke about the high rates of hepatitis c, HIV and endocarditis from intravenous drug use that are “crippling” local healthcare systems.

Dr. Adina Elise Bowe, an addiction psychiatrist with Charleston Area Medical Center, asked councilors to put “emotions aside and look at the evidence" supported by three decades of medical research.

West Virginia is the U.S. state with the highest rate of opioid overdoses. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared Charleston the scene of the country’s “most concerning HIV outbreak” due to intravenous drug use.

Women’s Health Center of West Virginia providers said their proposal was part of an effort to expand services for marginalized communities now that a near-total ban on abortion is in effect in the state.

Syringe service programs operate by allowing people to exchange dirty syringes used to inject drugs for clean, sterile ones. They are CDC-recommended methods to curb the spread of infection and typically offer a range of services, including referrals to counseling and substance use disorder treatment.

Such programs exist nationwide, but they are not without critics, who say they don’t do enough to prevent drug use. The city has one syringe service program now, located in the more affluent east end. A program run out of the Charleston-Kanawha Health Department was shuttered by the city in 2018.

West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed a law in 2021 requiring syringe providers to be licensed with the state and recipients to show proof of residency and return each needle after use.

The Charleston City Council followed with an ordinance requiring programs to collect at least 90% of the syringes distributed. Exchange programs violating the restrictions can be charged with a misdemeanor criminal offense, adding fines of $500 to $1,000 per offense. The programs also must be approved by the council and county commission.

Christy Day, a Black west side resident who spoke against the proposal, said she's tired of coming to city council to talk about programs like syringe service without an equity plan focused on bringing other needed resources, like new families and businesses like grocery stores.

Larry Moore, the city council member representing the west side, said people in his community feel like they haven't always had a voice in decisions that are made in the city.

Kenny Matthews, a Black man in recovery from opioid use who lives on west side, said syringe service programs save lives by building trust with a hard-to-access community and connecting people to treatment while offering resources like fentanyl test strips and overdose-reversal drugs.

“What we’re asking to be done is to allow people to be surrounded by people that say, ‘You’re worth living. You have something to contribute, and you can be better,’” he said. “If we say that we don’t want harm reduction, then you’re saying that you don’t want people to live."

After the meeting, Democratic Mayor Amy Goodwin — who voted against the proposal — said she sees the benefit of syringe service programs and voted in support of the existing program run by a clinic for underinsured residents on the east end. But, she said more medical expert testimony and more time was needed to ask questions before being pushed to vote on this latest proposal. Women's Health Center providers said they reached out to Goodwin to talk about the program in June.

#nunyas news

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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A white supermajority of the Mississippi House voted after an intense, four-plus hour debate to create a separate court system and an expanded police force within the city of Jackson — the Blackest city in America — that would be appointed completely by white state officials.

If House Bill 1020 becomes law later this session, the white Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court would appoint two judges to oversee a new district within the city — one that includes all of the city’s majority-white neighborhoods, among other areas. The white state Attorney General would appoint four prosecutors, a court clerk, and four public defenders for the new district. The white state Public Safety Commissioner would oversee an expanded Capitol Police force, run currently by a white chief.

The appointments by state officials would occur in lieu of judges and prosecutors being elected by the local residents of Jackson and Hinds County — as is the case in every other municipality and county in the state.

Mississippi’s capital city is 80% Black and home to a higher percentage of Black residents than any major American city. Mississippi’s Legislature is thoroughly controlled by white Republicans, who have redrawn districts over the past 30 years to ensure they can pass any bill without a single Democratic vote. Every legislative Republican is white, and most Democrats are Black.

After thorough and passionate dissent from Black members of the House, the bill passed 76-38 Tuesday primarily along party lines. Two Black member of the House — Rep. Cedric Burnett, a Democrat from Tunica, and Angela Cockerham, an independent from Magnolia — voted for the measure. All but one lawmaker representing the city of Jackson — Rep. Shanda Yates, a white independent — opposed the bill.

“Only in Mississippi would we have a bill like this … where we say solving the problem requires removing the vote from Black people,” Rep. Ed Blackmon, a Democrat from Canton, said while pleading with his colleagues to oppose the measure.

For most of the debate, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba — who has been publicly chided by the white Republicans who lead the Legislature — looked down on the House chamber from the gallery. Lumumba accused the Legislature earlier this year of practicing “plantation politics” in terms of its treatment of Jackson, and of the bill that passed Tuesday, he said: “It reminds me of apartheid.”

Hinds County Circuit Judge Adrienne Wooten, who served in the House before being elected judge and would be one of the existing judges to lose jurisdiction under this House proposal, also watched the debate.

Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell, who oversees the Capitol Police, watched a portion of the debate from the House gallery, chuckling at times when Democrats made impassioned points about the bill. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the only statewide elected official who owns a house in Jackson, walked onto the House floor shortly before the final vote.

Rep. Blackmon, a civil rights leader who has a decades-long history of championing voting issues, equated the current legislation to the Jim Crow-era 1890 Constitution that was written to strip voting rights from Black Mississippians.

“This is just like the 1890 Constitution all over again,” Blackmon said from the floor. “We are doing exactly what they said they were doing back then: ‘Helping those people because they can’t govern themselves.'”

The bill was authored by Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican whose hometown of Senatobia is 172 miles north of Jackson. It was sent to Lamar’s committee by Speaker Philip Gunn instead of a House Judiciary Committee, where similar legislation normally would be heard.

“This bill is designed to make our capital city of Jackson, Mississippi, a safer place,” Lamar said, citing numerous news sources who have covered Jackson’s high crime rates. Dwelling on a long backlog of Hinds County court cases, Lamar said the bill was designed to “help not hinder the (Hinds County) court system.”

“My constituents want to feel safe when they come here,” Lamar said, adding the capital city belonged to all the citizens of the state. “Where I am coming from with this bill is to help the citizens of Jackson and Hinds County.”

Opponents of the legislation, dozens of whom have protested at the Capitol several days this year, accused the authors of carving out mostly white, affluent areas of the city to be put in the new district.

In earlier sessions, the Legislature created the Capitol Complex Improvement District, which covers much of the downtown, including the state government office complex and other areas of Jackson. The bill would extend the existing district south to Highway 80, north to County Line Road, west to State Street and east to the Pearl River. Between 40,000 and 50,000 people live within the area.

The bill would double the funding for the district to $20 million in order to increase the size of the existing Capitol Police force, which has received broad criticism from Jacksonians for shooting several people in recent months with little accountability. The new court system laid out in House Bill 1020 is estimated to cost $1.6 million annually.

Many House members who represent Jackson on Tuesday said they were never consulted by House leadership about the bill. Several times during the debate, they pointed out that Republican leaders have never proposed increasing the number of elected judges to address a backlog of cases or increasing state funding to assist an overloaded Jackson Police Department.

Democratic members of the House said if they wanted to help with the crime problem, the Legislature could increase the number of elected judges in Hinds County. Blackmon said Hinds County was provided four judges in 1992 when a major redistricting occurred, and that number has not increased since then even as the caseload for the four judges has exploded.

In addition, Blackmon said the number of assistant prosecuting attorneys could be increased within Hinds County. In Lamar’s bill, the prosecuting of cases within the district would be conducted by attorneys in the office of Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who is white. Blackmon said the bill was “about a land grab,” not about fighting crime. He said other municipalities in the state had higher crime rates than Jackson. Blackmon asked why the bill would give the appointed judges the authority to hear civil cases that had nothing to do with crime.

“When Jackson becomes the No. 1 place for murder, we have a problem,” Lamar responded, highlighting the city’s long backlog of court cases. Several Democrats, during the debate, pointed out that the state of Mississippi’s crime lab has a lengthy backlog, as well, adding to the difficult in closing cases in Hinds County.

Lamar said the Mississippi Constitution gives the Legislature the authority to create “inferior courts,” as the Capitol Complex system would be. The decisions of the appointed judges can be appealed to Hinds County Circuit Court.

“We are not incompetent,” said Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson. “Our judges are not incompetent.”

Democrats offered seven amendments, including one to make the judges elected. All were defeated primarily along partisan and racial lines. An amendment offered by Rep. Cheikh Taylor, D-Starkville, to require the Capitol Police to wear body cameras was approved. Lamar voiced support for the amendment.

Much of the debate centered around the issue of creating a court where the Black majority in Hinds County would not be allowed to vote on judges.

One amendment that was defeated would require the appointed judges to come from Hinds County. Lamar said by allowing the judges to come from areas other than Hinds County would ensure “the best and brightest” could serve. Black legislators said the comment implied that the judges and other court staff could not be found within the Black majority population of Hinds County. When asked why he could not add more elected judges to Hinds County rather than appointing judges to the new district, Lamar said, “This is the bill that is before the body.”

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reddancer1 · 3 months

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Bank plans to auction posh property owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice to repay loans

A Virginia bank that is seeking to recover more than $300 million in longstanding unpaid business loans to the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is planning to auction off land at a sporting club located at the governor’s posh resort.

I HOPE WEST VIRGINIANS ARE SMART ENOUGH NOT TO VOTE FOR THIS ASSHOLE!

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vague-humanoid · 1 year

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Late last fall, West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Amelia Ferrell Knisely reported one story after another about allegations that people with disabilities were abused in facilities run by the state.

The state agency Knisely was covering demanded that one of her key stories be fully retracted. While her coverage remains on West Virginia Public Broadcasting's website, Knisely is gone. She says she was told the decision came from the station's chief executive.

Interviews with 20 people with direct knowledge of events at West Virginia Public Broadcasting indicate Knisely's involuntary departure from her position as a part-time reporter was not an aberration but part of a years-long pattern of mounting pressure on the station from Gov. Jim Justice's administration and some state legislators.

"We all knew that our jobs could go at any moment if politicians fought that hard enough," says former West Virginia Public Broadcasting reporter and producer Roxy Todd. "Gov. Justice's presence was always looming over us."

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idvoteforthatdaddy · 1 year

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Gov. Jim Justice and Sen. Joe Manchin

#Jim Justice #Joe Manchin

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socialjusticeinamerica · 2 years

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Every single one of us needs to register and vote Democratic to prevent these Christo-Fascist monsters from ruling us.

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deltamusings · 11 months

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I can't decide if this is tyranny, fear, or both.

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 2 years

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Since news broke that the FBI searched former-President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday, a growing number of Republicans have spoken out against the raid.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., took to Twitter, posting a statement that read in part: "I've seen enough."

"The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization," McCarthy continued. "When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., took it a step further, tweeting: "DEFUND THE FBI!"

A Twitter account for Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee run by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, tweeted: "This is what happens in third world countries. Not the United States." Another tweet read: "If they can do it to a former President, imagine what they can do to you."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a series of tweets that "launching such an investigation of a former President this close to an election is beyond problematic."

"We’re 100 days away from midterm elections. President Trump is likely going to run again in 2024," Graham tweeted. "No one is above the law. The law must be above politics."

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called the raid "incredibly concerning."

"We need answers NOW," Scott tweeted. "The FBI must explain what they were doing today & why."

Several Republican Senators used the raid to further criticize President Joe Biden's sweeping climate, health care and tax bill, which Senate Democrats passed on Sunday and which includes nearly $80 billion in funding for the Internal Revenue Service. For instance, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted: "After todays raid on Mar A Lago what do you think the left plans to use those 87,000 new IRS agents for?"

Other Republicans, including potential 2024 presidential candidates, continued to attack the Justice Department and the FBI.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted that the raid "is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies," then said: "Banana Republic."

Former Secretary of State and ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo said executing a search warrant against a former President "is dangerous."

"The apparent political weaponization of DOJ/FBI is shameful," Pompeo tweeted. "I served on Benghazi Com where we proved Hilliary possessed classified info. We didn't raid her home."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., called the raid "unprecedented."

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also released a statement, asserting -- without evidence -- that the search was an attempt by Democrats to "weaponize the bureaucracy against Republicans."

"Countless times we have examples of Democrats flouting the law and abusing power with no recourse. Democrats continually weaponize the bureaucracy against Republicans," McDaniel said. "This raid is outrageous. This abuse of power must stop and the only way to do that is to elect Republicans in November."

Multiple sources confirmed to ABC News that Trump's residence in Palm Beach was raided by FBI agents on Monday, starting around 10 a.m. local time. The former President was not there at the time.

Sources said the search of Mar-a-Lago was related to the 15 boxes of documents that Trump took there when he departed the White House, some of which the National Archives has said were marked classified. In January, Trump handed over the documents to the National Archives, and his attorneys said they were searching for any more records they may have.

The former President issued a statement Monday evening, saying Mar-a-Lago "is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents." He added: "They even broke into my safe!"

Later Monday, during a planned tele-rally with Sarah Palin ahead of her upcoming special election in Alaska, Trump didn't specifically mention the raid but appeared to briefly reference it when saying: "Another day in paradise. This is a strange day."

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that the FBI's activities at Trump's compound are court-authorized.

The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment.

A senior official briefed on Monday's events told ABC News that the Secret Service was notified by the FBI a short time before agents arrived that they would be coming. The Secret Service validated the search warrant and facilitated entry into the residence, in accordance with a court order, the official said. Secret Service agents were not involved in the search.

The Secret Service declined to comment.

A Biden administration official told ABC News that the White House received no advanced notice of the raid.

The White House has otherwise referred requests for comment on the investigation to the Justice Department.

ABC News contributor and former federal prosecutor Kan Nawaday said the raid is "extraordinary" but not "that surprising."

"I don't think we've ever seen this," Nawaday told ABC News Live Prime on Monday night. "At the same time, to me, it doesn't seem that surprising, given all the evidence that the Jan. 6 Committee has set forth about possible crimes relating to [the Capitol riot]."

"I think the indication is that it's moving forward. They are taking active action and following the leads and following the evidence," he added. "It's only a matter of time, in my view, that they're going to work up the chain to other potential targets."

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