A Florida trial judge said that despite objections from the Justice Department, he could seek to unseal parts of the affidavit supporting the search warrant executed at Mar-a-Lago, the mansion of former President Donald Trump.
The judge indicates that parts of Mar-a-Lago’s search affidavit could be released to the public. After hearing arguments about a request by a media coalition to make the affidavit public, the judge said he could decide that at least part of it could be released with government blackouts.
The Justice Department had urged Judge Bruce Reinhart to keep the affidavit completely sealed, arguing that if made public it could “cause significant and irreparable harm” to an ongoing criminal investigation involving highly classified materials related to national security. .
Jay Bratt, head of the agency’s counterintelligence and export control section, acknowledged the greater public interest in this case, but defended the government’s position of keeping the affidavit sealed as it would provide a roadmap and “suggest the next steps.” investigative steps we would be about to take.”
“This investigation is open. It’s in its early stages,” Bratt said. He further said that redacting the affidavit would not be enough, as the information contained in it could identify witnesses based on descriptions of events that only certain people would have knowledge of.
The Justice Department opposes the media request. The document, he says, is the “roadmap” for the criminal investigation. But after hearing the government’s arguments, Justice Reinhart said: “I am not prepared to rule that the affidavit must be completely sealed.”
The judge said he believes there are parts that could presumably be revealed; if they are significant, someone else will decide, he said. The administration may disagree with him on some points, he said, giving the Justice Department until next Thursday to submit the proposed redactions.
Multiple media outlets have called for the release of the affidavit, highlighting the historic significance of the unprecedented law enforcement search of a former president’s residence and the “immediate and intense public interest and vociferous reaction from Mr. Trump and his allies.”
However, Department officials said the redactions “would be so extensive as to render the text devoid of significant content.”
