The directive from U.S. District Judge Bruce Rinehart came hours after federal law enforcement officials filed under seal the portions of the affidavit they want to keep secret as their investigation progresses. The order means the public could soon get at least some additional details about what led FBI officials to search Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 as part of an investigation into classified documents kept in Palm Beach, Fla. , property. Documents already made public as part of the investigation show that the FBI repossessed 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. Search warrants usually contain vital information about an investigation, with agents explaining why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they are likely to find evidence of a possible crime there. In this case, however, the corrections proposed by the Department of Justice are likely to be extensive, given the sensitivity of the investigation and the unprecedented nature of the investigation, reducing the likelihood that the public will get a detailed picture of the basis for the investigation or direction of the catheter. WATCHES | The documents violate the Espionage Act:
Trump is under investigation for violations of the Espionage Act, FBI search warrant reveals
A US federal judge has unsealed the search warrant used at former US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department released a short list of what FBI agents seized, which included 20 boxes of papers that could violate US espionage laws.
A closer look
In his order Thursday, Reinhart said the department had made compelling arguments to leave sealed large portions of the document that, if released, would reveal grand jury information. the identity of witnesses and “unaccused parties”; and details of the “strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods of the investigation.” But he also said he was satisfied the government has shown the proposed redactions are “narrowly tailored” to serve the legitimate interest of its investigation and are a better alternative to sealing the entire affidavit. The department had earlier disputed arguments by media organizations to release any part of the affidavit, saying the disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was unwilling to keep the entire document sealed. Multiple media organizations, including the Associated Press, argued in court last week for disclosure of the affidavit, citing extreme public interest in the federal investigation into the home of a former president. Trump and some of his supporters also encouraged the release of the document. Trump raises his fist in defiance and solidarity with his supporters as he leaves Trump Tower in New York two days after the FBI raid. (David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters) After the Justice Department filed its filing under seal Thursday, the media coalition responded by asking the judge to unseal portions of the department’s affidavit and instruct the government, “going forward,” to publicly file a redacted version of any sealed of the document it submits. . The groups noted that important information about the investigation is already public. “At a minimum, all sections of the newsletter that recite these facts about the investigation without disclosing additional information not yet publicly available — in addition to any other sections that do not pose a threat to the investigation — should be unsealed,” they wrote. the news organizations. . “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.”
