U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Rinehart will now consider whether to release the affidavit and any redactions. The timing of this decision is not known. The affidavit spells out why investigators believe there was probable cause to commit crimes. The warrant authorized the FBI to search former President Donald Trump’s home and private club earlier this month Justice Department prosecutors have stressed that they need continued secrecy to avoid disrupting an ongoing criminal investigation — especially as they keep grand jury activity confidential and protect witnesses who have or could share information. Shortly after the DOJ’s sealed files on the redactions were turned over, a group of media companies, including CNN, filed a motion with the judge asking to unseal the DOJ’s briefing on the redactions. The media reported that the document should be made public with any changes needed to protect the ongoing investigation. In addition, the media companies asked the judge to order that, going forward, any documents the Justice Department files under seal in the transparency dispute also be publicly filed with appropriate redactions. “As this Court has also recognized, there is little interest in maintaining secrecy with respect to facts about the investigation that the government has already publicly confirmed are accurate,” the news agency’s request said. At a minimum, the media organizations argued, “any portions of the Brief that recite these facts about the investigation, without disclosing additional not yet publicly available — in addition to any other portions that do not pose a threat to the investigation — will must have unsealed.’ “If and when additional facts come to light and are confirmed to be accurate, or certain facts no longer pose a threat to the investigation for any other reason, there is no justification for keeping them under seal,” the news outlet wrote. “Furthermore, any legal arguments in the government’s records should be made public, even if some of the facts the government cites remain sealed.” This story has been updated with additional details.
