Judge orders release of redacted Trump search-warrant affidavit

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Criminal Justice Judge orders release of redacted Trump search-warrant affidavit

By Debra Cassens Weiss

August 26, 2022, 9:22 am CDT

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The entrance to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is shown Aug. 8 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump said in a lengthy statement the FBI had conducted a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and asserted that agents had broke open a safe. Photo by Terry Renna/The Associated Press.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart of Florida on Thursday ordered the release of a redacted version of the affidavit used to justify an Aug. 8 search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Reinhart ordered the release of the affidavit by noon Eastern time on Friday, report the New York Times, the Washington Post and Law.com. Reinhart ruled soon after the U.S. Department of Justice submitted proposed redactions.

Several news organizations had sought release of the affidavit.

Reinhart has already unsealed the search warrant for the FBI search and a receipt showing the property taken. Among the documents seized were “Miscellaneous Top Secret Documents” and “Info Re: President of France.”

U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland had sought release of the search warrant and property receipt but not the affidavit.

In his Aug. 25 order, Reinhart said the government had shown that its proposed redactions were narrowly tailored to protect the investigation’s integrity. The government, he said, demonstrated a compelling interest in sealing parts of the affidavit that would reveal:

• The identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents and uncharged parties.

• The investigation’s scope, direction, methods, sources and strategy.

• Protected grand jury information.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “Trump requests special master for review of documents seized by FBI”

ABAJournal.com: “Judge who signed Trump search warrant is targeted; critics seek ‘judgment of God’”

ABAJournal.com: “Could Trump be banned from office if he’s convicted of taking government documents?”

The Washington Post: “FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search followed months of resistance, delay by Trump”

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