Grassley Bombshell! Mar-a-Lago was a Set Up-New Docs Suggest Staged Photos of Classified Files

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Grassley Bombshell! Mar-a-Lago was a Set Up—New Docs Suggest Staged Photos of Classified Files
Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson (Premiere Networks)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into newly released documents revealing FBI and DOJ internal doubts about the justification for the August 2022 Mar-a-Lago raid targeting Donald Trump. Host Ben Ferguson dissects the implications: internal discord at federal agencies, political pressure from senior Biden administration officials, revelations of alleged evidence-tampering, and questions about accountability. The episode centers on Senator Chuck Grassley's bombshell disclosures, alleged government overreach, and what Ferguson calls the politicization of justice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Newly Revealed Internal FBI/DOJ Emails Cast Doubt on Mar-a-Lago Raid (03:00–10:30)

• Main Topic: Documents made public by Sen. Chuck Grassley show FBI agents themselves questioned whether there was probable cause to raid Mar-a-Lago.
• Contention: Despite doubts, DOJ leadership, specifically Attorney General Merrick Garland, pressed ahead with the search.
• Nature of Emails:
  • FBI Washington Field Office expressed skepticism that they had grounds for the search.
  • Emails indicate building the case was “time consuming and not productive without additional evidence.”
• Public vs. Private Stance:
  • FBI’s internal skepticism was contradicted by public statements asserting a judge found probable cause.
  • Ben Ferguson frames this as a significant contradiction, suggesting “Democrats are pointing to [this] right now to try to save themselves.” (06:00)

Notable Quotes

• Ben Ferguson (03:18):
  “The FBI’s own Washington Field Office did not believe the evidence established probable cause for a raid at that time. Despite these written doubts… the DOJ leadership said, ‘screw it, we’re going to move forward anyway.’”

• Ben Ferguson (05:39):
  "Now, let me also remind you about what happened during that raid when there's no evidence. What do you have to do when you're raiding someone's home if you want to go after them? ...They were trying to make sure that Donald Trump never made it back to the White House."

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2. Allegations of Staged Photographs and Evidence Tampering (07:00–08:30)

• Main Topic: Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe alleges in a widely circulated interview (clip played during the episode) that the now-infamous top-secret document photo from Mar-a-Lago was staged by the FBI.
• Jack Smith (Special Counsel) Admissions:
  • In court, Smith allegedly admitted mishandling documents and “misrepresented those to the court.”
  • Uncertainty expressed regarding how the handling errors occurred, casting further doubt on the chain of custody.

Notable Quotes

• John Ratcliffe (via clip, 07:10):
  “That famous photograph... Those top secret classified sheets that all the public saw... were placed there by the FBI. ...They mishandled the classified documents and misrepresented those to the court... That’s a kind way of saying we tampered with the evidence, then we lied to the court about it and they got caught.”

• Ben Ferguson (08:29):
  “So not only was this thing crooked from the beginning and fabricated out of thin air, we also now know that those men and women at the FBI and the DOJ… said there is nothing there, there’s no probable cause.”

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3. Accountability and Directives from the Top (08:30–12:30)

• Merrick Garland’s Role:
  • Ferguson points out that Garland publicly took personal responsibility for the warrant: “I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter.”
  • According to the new disclosures, this approval happened despite strong internal warnings.
• Political Implications:
  • The episode repeatedly frames the raid as "politically motivated" and “weaponization” of the justice system.

Notable Quotes

• Ben Ferguson (09:27, quoting Garland):
  “First, I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter. Second, the department does not take such a decision lightly.”
• Ben Ferguson (10:42):
  "If you look at the FBI doubting probable cause... then push forward because the man in charge, Merrick Garland, says, 'I'm telling you, you're going to do it. I'm personally authorizing it.'"

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4. Further Disclosures from Internal Emails (12:30–15:50)

• Fox News Digital Reports that FBI agents expressed "grave concerns" and favored less intrusive alternatives:
  • Agents suggested speaking with Trump’s attorneys to resolve issues about documents, arguing a raid was unnecessary and counterproductive.
  • One agent writes: “Very little has been developed related to who might be culpable for mishandling the documents... the information is single source, has not been corroborated and may be dated.” (12:50)
  • Another: “We haven’t generated any new facts but keep being given draft after draft after draft.” (14:00)

Notable Quotes

• FBI Assistant Special Agent (quoted by Ben Ferguson, 12:56):
  "A reasonable conversation with the former President's attorney... ought not to be discounted."

• FBI Agent Email (quoted by Ferguson, 14:10):
  "Absent a witness coming forward with recent information about classified documents on site, at what point is it fair to table this?"

• Ben Ferguson (15:22):
  “The FBI believe that a raid would be counterproductive... [and] suggested alternatives... for resolution to reclaim any potential classified records. The process moved forward regardless of all of these concerns that were put in writing.”

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5. Narrative on Political Weaponization (15:50–17:20)

• Host’s Conclusion:
  Ferguson asserts, based on released documents, that the Biden administration "weaponized the government" to harm a political opponent (Donald Trump), despite internal warnings.
• Summary of Decision Chain:
  Despite multiple written objections from field agents, DOJ headquarters, pressured by DOJ leadership, decided to carry out and publicize the raid.

Notable Quotes

• Ben Ferguson (16:22):
  “The FBI raided Mar-a-Lago ... for one reason. Because the Biden administration weaponized the government to try to take out their political opponent and put in jail the sitting President now of the United States of America, a guy by the name of Donald Trump.”

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Probable cause doubts exposed: Ferguson reading from FBI emails—“time consuming and not productive without additional evidence” (04:40).
• Ratcliffe interview claims: Staged photos, mishandling of evidence—(07:06–08:30).
• Garland’s admission: “I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant...” (09:27).
• Agents’ alternatives: Suggesting communication with Trump’s attorney—(12:32–13:10).
• Final summary of government ‘weaponization’: Ferguson’s signoff on the stakes and implications (16:22).

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Tone & Attribution

• Tone:
  Highly charged, skeptical of the Biden DOJ/FBI, strongly supportive of Trump and critical of the raid’s rationale and legality. Ferguson and his guests speak in urgent, forceful terms, emphasizing perceived injustice and media misrepresentation.

• Attribution:
  All direct quotes are clearly attributed to their speakers (Ben Ferguson, email excerpts, John Ratcliffe).

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Key Takeaways for the Uninitiated

• There are newly released internal documents showing that FBI officials expressed in writing their belief that there was insufficient probable cause to raid Mar-a-Lago, but the DOJ proceeded regardless.
• High-profile figures allege that evidence (including photographs widely distributed to the public) was staged or mishandled, and that the government misled courts.
• Attorney General Garland took personal responsibility for the search warrant, a decision made in the face of documented internal dissent.
• Emails reveal agents favored less drastic options, but their concerns were overridden.
• The episode frames the Mar-a-Lago raid as part of a larger pattern of government overreach and politically motivated actions against Donald Trump.

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For further details, listeners are encouraged to read the full transcript or listen to the episode directly to catch the impassioned delivery and full context provided by Ben Ferguson.

Transcript

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Documents here don't match up. The documents that were presented to us don't match the digitally scanned records of when they were taken from Mar? A Lago and Jack Smith. Not only did they tamper with that and lie to the court about it, but he's now admitted to the court that he doesn't know how that happened. He's only offered a number of possible explanations for how that could have happened.

[Ben Ferguson]

You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Good Wednesday morning. It is so nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got one massive story for you. It deals with corruption at the DOJ and the FBI. And now we have it in writing that the FBI doubted probable cause for the Mar? A Lago raid on Donald Trump. And why did it happen? Why do they keep pushing forward? Because the man in charge, the attorney general, said keep moving forward no matter what, even if there was no evidence to support the raid. I have all the details for you and I hope you'll take this show and share it everywhere on social media because what I'm about to share with you, you're probably not going to find anywhere else. Operation Overlord. The D day beaches. You and I share a passion for history. So I hope you'll join me next spring on the D Day beaches in Normandy. That's right. The invasion that sealed Hitler's doom. Omaha and Utah. You're going to discover the sacred patch of sand with me. 10 days in Europe, luxury hotels and fully escorted by America's leading expert on France and the D day invasion. Kin chase. 57. 57. And that includes your airfare. You're going to stand at General Patton's gravesite. Bastogne, Point du Hawk and Melbourne. Barry Harbor. Call my friends at Conservative Tours on your cell phone. Just dial pound 250 and say the keyword Conservative Tours. Or go to conservativetours.com an A plus rating with the BBB. All your sightseeing in Paris. Two dial pound 250. Say the keyword Conservative Tours. You'll have the option to receive a one time auto dialed text message from iHeartMedia. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Story number one. New files are reve this morning that the Department of Justice and the FBI did not have cause to raid Mar Lago that coming now from shocking information that has been released by Senator Chuck Grassley. The newly released emails and records that were made public show that FBI officials internally in writing, were questioned whether they had probable cause to seek a search warrant for Malago in August of 2022. Emails state that the FBI's own Washington Field office did not believe the evidence established probable cause for a raid at that time. Despite these written doubts in writing, the Department of Justice leadership said, screw it, we're going to move forward anyway, and obtained a warrant from a federal magistrate judge. One senior FBI agent reportedly said the effort to build probable cause was time consuming and not productive without additional evidence. Grassley characterized disclosures as a miscarriage of justice and claimed the Biden DOJ pushed forward despite internal resistance based on the facts. Now, these internal emails were not previously public and they contradict past public assertions about the confidence levels before the raid on the former President's home. It's important to note that the FBI's public stance was that a judge found probable cause even though they didn't believe it was there and authorized the warrant. That is something Democrats are pointing to right now to try to save themselves. Now, let me also remind you about what happened during that raid when there's no evidence. What do you have to do when you're raiding someone's home if you want to go after them? And why did they raid? We all know the reason why the FBI raided in the doj. They were trying to make sure that Donald Trump never made it back to the White House. Let me remind you what now CIA Director John Radcliffe had to say about this quite some time ago after the raid happened.

[Sports Announcer]

Yeah. So that famous photograph, what we have now learned and the government has had, Jack Smith and his prosecutors have had to admit that that was st and those top secret classified sheets that all the public saw and said, oh my God, look at those top secret documents. Those were placed there by the FBI. What Jack Smith admitted in court this week was that in his word, they mishandled the classified documents and misrepresented those to the court. Maria, that's a kind way of saying we tampered with the evidence, then we lied to the court about it and they got caught. When President Trump's lawyers and the other co defendants raised this issue and said, look, the documents here don't match up. The documents that were presented to us don't match the digitally scanned records of when they were taken from Mar A Lago and Jack Smith. Not only did they tamper with that and lie to the court about it. But he's now admitted to the court that he doesn't know how that happened. He's only offered a number of possible explanations for how that could have happened. So he's absolutely blown the chain of custody. And again, he has a prosecutor, lead prosecutor in this case, Jay Bratt, who met with White House counsel and a representative of the National Archives in several times in the weeks before Jack Smith was even appointed. This reeks of Crossfire Hurricane when the Biden, when the Obama Biden administration fabricated evidence before the FISA court, lied to the court about it to pursue Donald Trump, and now we're seeing it again in this classified documents case.

[Ben Ferguson]

So not only was this thing crooked from the beginning and fabricated out of thin air, we also now know that those men and women at the FBI and the DOJ that were on the ground said there is nothing there, there's no probable cause. And so that's where the politics and the corruption of the Biden regime comes in. Let me remind you of what the attorney general, Merrick Garland, had to say as he went on TV before the election, of course, delivering his remarks on the search warrant executed at President Trump's Mar? A Lago resident. And what did he say? And again, put this in perspective, it's now coming out. The FBI warned the Biden administration that there was not probable cause to raid Mar A Lago and they raided President Trump anyway. So who made that decision? Well, we know exactly who it was. It was Merrick Garland. How do we know it? Because he said it. There are, however, certain points I want you to know. First, I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter. Second, the department does not take such a decision lightly. Which brings us back to the issue of accountability. If you look at the FBI doubting probable cause for Malago rate, then push forward because the man in charge, Merrick Garland, says, I'm telling you, you're going to do it. I'm personally authorizing it. And then you have emails showing that this is a massive, massive, massive problem, and they're telling you don't do it, then how is there not accountability? And let's just talk a little bit more about accountability. We're now getting reporting from Fox News Digital that they're saying the FBI not only do they not believe they had probable cause to raid President Donald Trump's Marlowe go home in 2022, but they move forward amid pressure directly from the Biden Justice Department, with an official saying he didn't give a quote unquote, about the optics of the search. Now, this is all coming from these newly declassified documents. Fox News Digital revealed emails between the FBI and the Justice Department officials in the months leading up to the August 2022 raid of the President's home, with FBI officials expressing grave concerns about a lack of probable cause to execute the search warrant on then front runner President Donald Trump and his residence in Palm Beach. Quote, very little has been developed related to who might be culpable for mishandling the documents. An FBI official serving as an Assistant Special Agent in charge wrote to another FBI official from the interviews, the WHO has gathered information suggesting that there may be additional boxes, presumably of the same type as were sent back to NARA in January. At Mar? A Lago, who has been drafting a search warrant affidavit related to these potential boxes, but has some concerns that the information is single source, has not been corroborated and may be dated. The official continues, Again, this is all in writing. DOJ CES opines, however, that the SWS meet the probable cause standard. Then it says this even as we continue down the path towards a search warrant, WFO believes that a reasonable conversation with the former President's attorney. They're talking about Donald Trump, stating that the FBI and the DOJ are readying a search warrant and have developed information that there are more documents in Mar A Lago ought not to be discounted. The official road, in other words, are saying, don't do this, don't go raid it. Talk to his lawyers. We can probably make all this go away. Then it says in this document this. At a minimum, even if the former president's attorney is correct and the documents were all declassified or believed to be declassified, it can be reasonably argued that the documents remain sensitive and should be properly secured until the matter of classification is sorted out. The official continued, this conversation could easily be accomplished at the same time that the WHO presses forward with the investigation and continues building out a search warrant. In other words, hey, you guys are overreacting. You don't want to go raid Mar? A Lago. There's not probable cause. I'm telling you that this all can be done through lawyers. This is a mistake. I'm telling you, we don't have what we need to go and raid Mar Lago. And now we understand going back to Radcliffe, why they were placing these, these folders out in the floor and taking pictures. It was all a setup. We know that now. Now here's something else that's interesting. Weeks later, an FBI agent writes an email stating this, quote, we haven't generated any new facts but keep being given draft after draft after draft. In other words, you're going to raid this thing. I don't care what you found. Then the FBI agent writes this. Absent a witness coming forward with recent information about classified documents on site, at what point is it fair to table this question mark? The agent writes, it is time consuming for the team and not productive if there are no new facts supporting probable cause. Another email revealed that the FBI's Washington Field Office did not believe as has articulated to the DOJ and the C S that we have established probable cause for the search warrant for classified records at Mar? A Lago. Then there's another line. This is what it says, quote, the DOJ is a pine that they do not have probable cause, requesting a wide scope including residence, office, storage space. Another agent wrote, the FBI believe that a raid would be counterproductive. Their words in writing and suggested alternatives less intrusive and likelier quicker options for resolution to reclaim any potential classified records. The process moved forward regardless of all of these concerns that were put in writing. There's even Another email on August 4th of 2022 revealed the plan for the execution of the warrant saying this. The FBI intends for the execution of the warrant to be handled in a professional, low key manner and to be mindful of the optics of the search. An agent writes. The agent quotes then deputy Assistant Attorney General in a meeting saying, quote, since we heard Mr. Tosca say yesterday in the call that he quote, frankly doesn't give a about the optics and Mr. Brad has already built a antagonistic relationship with Trump attorneys, I think it is more than fair to say that the DOJ contact with Trump attorneys just prior to the execution of the warrant will not go well. DOJ said as much yesterday. The agent writes, it also thinks that it is fair to say that if FBI calls having in mind officer safety to the optics of the search and the desire to conduct the search in a professional and low key manner, there is a far better chance that the execution will go more smoothly and we may actually gain some measure of cooperation which could go some way to resolving the mishandling of classified records and the investigation that is being conducted. The agent added, I understand that this request may not go well at doj. However, it is the FBI serving and executing the search and it will be our personnel who have to deal with the reaction to that first contact. So what happened? The FBI raided Mar Lago, executed the search warrants as part of the investigation into alleged improper retention of classified records that they in writing said there's no probable cause for this. And why do they do it? For one reason. Because the Biden administration weaponized the government to try to take out their political opponent and put in jail the sitting President now of the United States of America, a guy by the name of Donald Trump. Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here. Tomorrow.

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