Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that the Justice Department would need to be transparent in proving the importance of Donald Trump’s unprecedented discovery of Mar-a-Lago last week, but also criticized the response of other Republicans, who said He instigated animosity against law enforcement. ,
“I still believe that transparency was and is critically important. I wasn’t one of those people who just reacted,” Hogan told ABC “This Week” to co-anchor Jonathan Karl of the former president’s home FBI operation. Were, just defending Donald Trump.” Residence in Florida. “But I understood that, without anyone understanding what it was about, that it could lead to further division and angry rhetoric on both sides.”
“And so, I was glad they came out and opened the search documents,” Hogan said. “I think it was a step in the right direction. But I think we still have a lot of unanswered questions and we will continue until people understand more.”
Hogan told Carl he was concerned after receiving classified and other highly sensitive material at Mar-a-Lago, according to a revised copy of the warrant and related papers that the court issued Friday.
Sources previously told ABC News that the search was in relation to documents Trump took with him when he departed Washington, including some records that were classified by the National Archives.
Through a spokesman, Trump claimed that the files had been made public. He has said that the investigation is politically motivated.
“I think we have to find out more about this: what exactly are documents and what are the implications from a national security perspective?” Hogan said on Sunday. “On the one hand, you can say, ‘Well, the Justice Department, the FBI, and the federal judge believed they should be doing this, so it must be very serious.’ On the other hand, in the absence of greater transparency, people will continue to jump to conclusions.”
Hogan, a vehemently intrapartisan critic of Trump, also warned against other Republicans rising tensions over the ongoing investigation after some lawmakers such as Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green issued calls to “discredit the FBI, dismantle the DOJ, and eliminate agencies of political bias. Harassment.”
These comments continued after officials said an armed man tried to break into an FBI office in Ohio after a search.
“It’s outrageous rhetoric,” Hogan said. “My father, my uncle, my two cousins were FBI agents and I work with [agents] constantly, the state police work with them every day. These are dedicated law enforcement officers.”
Carl cited a photo of some House Republicans, rallying around him, who had gone to meet Trump after last week’s discovery.
“I’m not sure that history will fondly remember them all,” Hogan said.
“Look, I think no man is above the law, but everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “So we’ll just have to see where this investigation goes.”
Hogan was concerned about his own presidential ambitions, rumors about which have been fueled by his repeated calls for an anti-Trump future for the GOP and his recent visits to key primary states, including Thursday at the Iowa State Fair, A must-visit for conservative presidential candidates.
“I’m helping people across the country with this November election. I’ve been to 10 or 12 states in the last few weeks. And it’s really great to talk to people there,” Hogan said. “I’m definitely going to be a voice and I’m going to try to do what I can to get my party back on track, because I want to win the election rather than lose it.