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Judge orders release of redacted affidavit in FBI search of Mar-a-Lago estate

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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A redacted version of the affidavit justifying the FBI search of former president Donald Trump’s Florida residence must be unsealed in federal court by noon Friday, a judge ordered Thursday afternoon.
The order arrived hours after Justice Department lawyers submitted proposed redactions they felt were necessary to avoid jeopardizing witnesses or undermining the high-profile investigation into the handling of classified documents, which the Justice Department has characterized as still in the “early stages.”


Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart apparently agreed with their proposed redactions and, in response to requests from multiple news organizations, ordered the affidavit to be made available for public view.

“I find that the Government has met its burden of showing a compelling reason/good cause to seal portions of the Affidavit because disclosure would reveal (1) the identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties, (2) the investigation’s strategy, direction, scope, sources, and methods, and (3) grand jury information protected by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure,” Reinhart wrote in his order.






The affidavit likely contains key information about the investigation into classified documents that were kept at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and private resort after he left office, including why FBI agents suspect crimes may have been committed.
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Until the redacted version is filed in court, the public will not know how much the Justice Department has shielded from view in the affidavit and whether this version will reveal any illuminating details about the investigation.

Justice Department lawyers argued in court last week that making the affidavit public could jeopardize the safety of witnesses and hamper the probe.
Still, Reinhart — who has read the full affidavit and signed off on the FBI’s application for a search warrant earlier this month — said he believed parts of the document could be made public without impeding the probe.


“I’m not prepared to find the affidavit should be fully sealed,” Reinhart said last week in a West Palm Beach courtroom. “I believe based on my initial careful review of the affidavit many times, that there are portions that could preemptively be unsealed.”
Trump's secret papers and the 'myth' of presidential security clearance
The affidavit has become another flash point in a criminal probe scrutinizing materials taken from the White House when Trump’s term ended last year. On Aug. 8, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the estate in Palm Beach, carting away about 20 boxes containing what authorities have characterized as highly classified national secrets.

Law enforcement officials submit sworn affidavits to a judge as part of their application for a search warrant. They typically contain information addressing why authorities think there is evidence at a certain property and other details about their investigation.






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In unredacted form, it would provide the most comprehensive rationale for why the government pushed to search Trump’s property — and what investigative steps it had taken beforehand. It would show who the government had interviewed, what they believed was potentially on the premises and why they believed there was probable cause that crimes had been committed.

Multiple media outlets, including The Washington Post, called on the judge to unseal all the court documents related to the Mar-a-Lago search.

Attorney General Merrick Garland asked Reinhart to unseal the warrant and an inventory list that includes vague descriptions of the classified materials federal agents say they recovered from Mar-a-Lago, but opposed the release of the affidavit.

 
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Yep, it will be heavily redacted. I did see one former federal prosecutor say that just from the number of pages released it will tell us how far along things are, and just how much they have on Trump.
Trump has demanded this be released. Tomorrow he will scream about ALL THE LEAKING!!! SO UNFAIR!!!
 
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Yep, it will be heavily redacted. I did see one former federal prosecutor say that just from the number of pages released it will tell us how far along things are, and just how much they have on Trump.
Trump has demanded this be released. Tomorrow he will scream about ALL THE LEAKING!!! SO UNFAIR!!!
IF It’s redacted to this degree why even release it. Will just add to the speculation and add no clarity.

Hopefully it’s more substantive 😁
 
IF It’s redacted to this degree why even release it. Will just add to the speculation and add no clarity.

Hopefully it’s more substantive 😁
Former Solicitor General Neal Katyal was on Lib TV tonight, and he said he thinks that one thing that is released tomorrow is the documentation of the multiple attempts made to get the documents back. Some of that is out already, but the timeline in an court document blows some holes in the excuse du jour the Trump camp is throwing out that they were working in good faith, or that they were blindsided.
 
Former Solicitor General Neal Katyal was on Lib TV tonight, and he said he thinks that one thing that is released tomorrow is the documentation of the multiple attempts made to get the documents back. Some of that is out already, but the timeline in an court document blows some holes in the excuse du jour the Trump camp is throwing out that they were working in good faith, or that they were blindsided.
I agree with Katyal. The Affidavit likely includes a lengthy history of efforts made by the government to retrieve the documents. Seems to me that section can probably be disclosed with names and the identity of any documents redacted. It will destroy multiple (often contradictory) narratives pushed by Trump the past two weeks so he will just move on to a new victim story with the same old worn out lies.
 
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