FBI曾追踪美国第一夫人梅拉尼娅·特朗普及其儿子巴伦，作为2022年搜查唐纳德·特朗普总统海湖庄园准备工作的一部分，随后还监控了现任白幕僚长苏西·怀尔斯数月的电话活动，根据白宫透明度团队周二早些时候发布的文件显示。
The FBI tracked US First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron as part of preparations for the 2022 search of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, and later monitored the phone activity of Susie Wiles, now the White House chief of staff, for months, according to documents released by the White House transparency team early Tuesday. According to the documents, the surveillance of members of the Trump family was intended, among other things, to help the bureau determine the right time the search the former president's Palm Beach estate as part of the investigation into classified documents he retained after leaving office following his first term. The investigation carried the code name "Plasmic Echo."
根据文件，对特朗普家族成员的监控旨在帮助该局确定搜查前总统棕榈滩庄园的合适时机，这是对其卸任后保留机密文件调查的一部分。该调查代号为“Plasmic Echo”。
Correspondence between FBI agents from late May 2022 listed among the tasks ahead of the search a requirement to complete a picture of the travel plans of Trump, his wife and his minor son, including the type of aircraft they used and their precise schedules. Another document explicitly stated that search warrants would be executed only after the former president had left Mar-a-Lago. The FBI ultimately carried out the search on August 8, 2022.
2022年5月下旬FBI特工之间的通信显示，在搜查前的任务中包括完成特朗普、其妻子及其未成年儿子的旅行计划全貌，包括他们使用的飞机类型和精确日程。
As part of the operation, agents searched Trump's office as well as the couple's bedrooms. According to the released documents, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland approved the investigative steps after a recommendation from then-FBI Director Christopher Wray. Wray warned Trump investigation could affect democratic process before electionIn a May 2022 memorandum, Wray warned that the investigation was sensitive and could involve senior officials from Trump's first administration, and that if it became public before an election it "could be disruptive to the democratic process."
另一份文件明确指出，搜查令将在前总统离开海湖庄园后才会执行。FBI最终于2022年8月8日实施了搜查。作为行动的一部分，特工搜查了特朗普的办公室以及夫妇俩的卧室。
At the bottom of the memorandum, Wray wrote to Garland by hand: "Merrick, I recommend you approve. CW." One month before the search, an unidentified special agent raised doubts about the FBI's legal authority to search the office and bedroom of a former president and even suggested holding additional discussions with Trump's attorneys. Wiles surveillance included calls with Trump, lawyers, advisers and journalistsThe documents also reveal that between February and May 2023, FBI personnel monitored the call records of Wiles, who at the time was running Trump's political operation ahead of the 2024 election.
根据发布的文件，时任司法部长梅里克·加兰在时任FBI局长克里斯托弗·雷的建议后批准了调查步骤。雷警告特朗普调查可能影响选举前的民主进程在2022年5月的一份备忘录中，雷警告称该调查敏感且可能涉及特朗普第一届政府的高级官员，如果在选举前公开，“可能会破坏民主进程。”在备忘录底部，雷手写给加兰：“梅里克，我建议你批准。”
According to the records, the FBI tracked her calls with nearly two dozen attorneys connected to Trump, as well as campaign staffers, political advisers and journalists. The identities in the documents were almost entirely redacted, with the exception of Kash Patel, who now serves as FBI director and at the time held no government position. The records also include calls between Wiles and Trump himself. One entry dated May 19, 2023, states that a phone number identified as the "FPOTUS Vanity Number," belonging to the former president, called Wiles at 2:05 p.m. The call lasted 16 minutes and 11 seconds. On one day in March 2023, the documents show Wiles made or received 39 calls.
CW。“搜查前一个月，一名身份不明的特工对联邦调查局搜查前总统办公室和卧室的法律权力提出质疑，甚至建议与特朗普的律师进行进一步讨论。怀尔斯的监视包括与特朗普、律师、顾问和记者的通话文件还显示，2023年2月至5月期间，联邦调查局人员监控了怀尔斯的通话记录，她当时正在2024年大选前负责特朗普的政治运作。根据记录，联邦调查局追踪了她与近二十名与特朗普有关的律师以及竞选工作人员、政治顾问和记者的通话。文件中的身份几乎完全被编辑，除了卡什·帕特尔之外，他现在担任联邦调查局局长，当时没有担任任何政府职务。这些记录还包括怀尔斯和特朗普本人之间的通话。一份日期为2023年5月19日的条目称，一个名为“FPOTUS Vanity Number”的电话号码于下午2点05分致电怀尔斯，通话持续了16分11秒。2023年3月的一天，文件显示怀尔斯拨打或接到了39个电话。这些记录包括准确的通话时间和每次通话的持续时间。另一封内部电子邮件指出，美国广播公司新闻网的一名记者致电怀尔斯进行了两分钟36秒的谈话。
The records include precise call times and the duration of each call. Another internal email noted that an ABC News reporter called Wiles for a two-minute, 36-second conversation. Other records also listed calls with reporters from The Washington Post and Politico.
其他记录还列出了与《华盛顿邮报》和《政治报》记者的通话，2023年4月FBI特工在佛罗里达州对怀尔斯进行讯问后，调查人员还检查了她在采访前后的电话活动，特别顾问杰克·史密斯的调查重点是可能的阻挠、机密文件，当时，特别检察官杰克·史密斯已经把重点放在了对妨碍调查的怀疑上，以及特朗普是否错误地声称所有机密文件都被一名联邦法官于2024年7月驳回了针对特朗普的案件，裁定加兰对史密斯的任命是非法的。
After FBI agents questioned Wiles in Florida in April 2023, investigators also examined her phone activity before and after the interview. Special counsel Jack Smith probe focused on possible obstruction, classified documentsAt the time, special counsel Jack Smith was already focusing on suspicions of obstruction of the investigation and on whether Trump had wrongly claimed that all classified documents had been returned to the National Archives.A federal judge dismissed the case against Trump in July 2024, ruling that Garland's appointment of Smith was unlawful.
白宫严厉批评了调查行动。白宫发言人劳伦·比斯（Lauren Bies）告诉《纽约邮报》，“杰克·史密斯的监视行动是对政府权力的可耻滥用”，并补充说，“监视政治对手是执法的政治化。必须追究责任人的责任。"
The White House sharply criticized the investigative actions. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bies told the New York Post that "Jack Smith's surveillance operation was a disgraceful abuse of government power," adding that "Spying on political opponents is the politicization of law enforcement. Those responsible must be held accountable."