- Former President Trump met with investigators months before the FBI search on Monday, sources told CNN.
- Investigators asked where Trump stored his documents and attorneys showed them a basement room.
Months before the raid on his Mar-a-Lago residence, former President Donald Trump's lawyers recieved instructions to "secure the room" in which he stored his documents, sources told CNN.
The sources told CNN aides added a padlock in order to secure the room.
On Monday, Trump confirmed reports that the FBI executed a search warrant at his Palm Beach, Florida, residence.
Sources told ABC News the search was related to 15 boxes of documents Trump took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago resort following the end of his presidency. During the FBI's search Monday morning, the agency was verifying that no other documents were still at the resort after the National Archives retrieved the documents in February, a source told CNN.
Investigators met with Trump's lawyers at Mar-a-Lago months ago to evaluate the documents Trump had taken during his time at the White House, CNN reported. Trump was also present during the meeting, albeit momentarily, sources told CNN.
The CNN report does not specify when exactly investigators met with Trump, but said Trump aides were interviewed about the documents by the FBI in April and May.
During Monday's search of his office, Trump was at Trump Tower in New York City.
After investigators asked to see where Trump stored his documents, attorneys for the former president took investigators to the basement room at Mar-a-Lago. Days later, the attorneys received a letter asking to lock that same room, sources told CNN. The report does not mention who sent the letter.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.