© AP/Patrick SemanskyUS President Donald Trump
Former President Trump is calling for the full release of the affidavit submitted with the warrant allowing the FBI to raid his Mar-a-Lago estate - after the Justice Department asked the document to remain
sealed.
Trump wrote late Monday evening on his platform
Truth Social:
"There is no way to justify the unannounced RAID of Mar-a-Lago, the home of the 45th President of the United States ... by a very large number of gun toting FBI Agents, and the Department of 'Justice' but, in the interest of TRANSPARENCY, I call for the immediate release of the completely Unredacted Affidavit pertaining to this horrible and shocking BREAK-IN. Also, the Judge on this case should recuse!"
The federal attorneys argued Monday in front of Florida Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart Monday that publicly releasing the affidavit would compromise their agency's probe of the former president. Reinhart, who approved the FBI's search warrant of Trump's residence, donated to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and has been linked to convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
Attorney General Merrick Garland agreed last week to
release the warrant, which he said he personally approved. While the
warrant was released, the affidavit is still sealed.
Comment: While some descriptive documents may be released,
there is opposition to release the FBI affidavit:
Federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing:
"If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government's ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps."
The release of even a redacted version of the affidavit "would not serve any public interest" due to the number of details that would have to be omitted.
The latest filing, signed by South Florida US attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Justice Department counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt, mentioned a specific concern about outing cooperating witnesses and noted that some records cannot be released due to required grand jury secrecy. The filing said:
"As the Court is aware from its review of the affidavit, it contains, among other critically important and detailed investigative facts: highly sensitive information about witnesses, including witnesses interviewed by the government; specific investigative techniques; and information required by law to be kept under seal.
"In addition, information about witnesses is particularly sensitive given the high-profile nature of this matter and the risk that the revelation of witness identities would impact their willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
"Disclosure of the government's affidavit at this stage would also likely chill future cooperation by witnesses whose assistance may be sought as this investigation progresses, as well as in other high-profile investigations."
Gonzalez and Bratt added that the Justice Department would be willing to release other documents, including cover sheets for the initial search warrant application, the government's motion to seal the warrant and the sealing order issued by US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart.
The conservative legal group Judicial Watch and nearly a dozen news outlets are seeking the release of documents related to the search. The request is being considered by the US District Court for Southern Florida.
Trump said Friday that he wants all documents pertaining to the raid to be released.
"Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents, even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me, much as they have done for the last 6 years."
Garland "deliberated for weeks" on whether to approve the raid, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, and now is considering whether the Justice Department should criminally charge Trump for mishandling records.
Given the history of unrelenting Trump persecution, chances are slim he won't be criminally charged. DOJ is playing a nasty long game...
but so is Trump.See also:
Comment: While some descriptive documents may be released, there is opposition to release the FBI affidavit: Given the history of unrelenting Trump persecution, chances are slim he won't be criminally charged. DOJ is playing a nasty long game...but so is Trump.
See also: