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It’s so hush-hush that his spox, Steven Cheung, claimed no knowledge of its existence.

“I’ve never heard of a N Flagler office,” Cheung said, when… asked….

But it’s here, across the hall from an #IRS suite w/a door marked “#criminal investigation” & one floor below an outpost for #Trump’s #SecretService detail. 3 sources confirmed the location of the office.

Under the #FormerPresidentsAct, the federal #GSA provides #funding for post-presidential offices, including #money to pay #staff. There are reasons — including security — that some ex-presidents choose to shine less light on their offices….

What stands out about this suite is that it has played a little-noticed role in Trump’s affairs….

It has apparently housed #classified material

&, acc/to a person familiar w/Trump’s operation, been #searched by a private firm at the direction of Trump’s #lawyers. Long after that inspection, bankers' boxes were still piled against the wall & in the middle of the main room….

“Boxes everywhere,” one of the sources said. “The state of that office is generally cluttered. If there weren’t boxes & bins, I’d think that something happened.”

…Several #Trump aides on the #payroll of his… #PAC, his 2024 presidential #campaign or both have worked at the post-presidential office since it opened 2 years ago, acc/to campaign #finance records & people familiar w/the office. Cheung did not respond to a follow-up email seeking details about the office & its operations, including whether aides on Trump’s #political payroll who have worked there are also paid by the #government or a private noncampaign entity.

It is possible for one person to split time between a campaign & government work, acc/to #election finance experts. For example, most executive branch employees — including political appointees — can participate in certain partisan political activities outside of work, so long as they don’t use #GovernmentResources. & it could be that #Trump’s aides are careful not to mix political work w/ official business. (Sure it’s *possible*)

But there is a strict #prohibition on performing #political duties on #government time —or in a government-occupied building or room. It is not clear what steps #Trump is taking to ensure a wall of separation between official & #campaign business for #aides who are on his political #payroll.

“The general rule is, even where dual-hatting is allowed, & even when it’s being done w/o pay on either or both jobs, you definitely cannot conduct [political] work in your govt office,” said a fmr #FEC #lawyer…. “That is pretty close to an ironclad rule.”

Most fmr presidents don’t have to contemplate mounting a #legal #defense & a presidential #campaign as their #aides reply to correspondence from fans & dignitaries.

“#Trump is the first ex-president of our time who has declared for re-election. At the same time, his #political #fundraising cmtes are #contributing #money to his #personal #legal #defense,” said Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian.

“Since #Nixon’s rocky & much-criticized first months out of office, American ex-presidents have abided by fairly strict traditions & practices,” Beschloss said. “Such practices would not include non-government ofcls using American #TaxpayerFunded office space & services to conduct an ex-president’s #campaign or to work on his #private #legal #defense, if either of those things happened.”

…Several of #Trump’s #aides, all of whom worked in… the WH, have been seen at the N Flagler Dr office.…