DOJ Orders Trump's Search Warrant Affidavit Redacted and Released

On Thursday, a federal judge ruled against the U.S. Department of Justice againstformer President Donald Trump's Florida estate.

U.S. Magistrate Justice Bruce Reinhart made an affidavit containing a redacted version of the information he wanted to keep secret after the FBI seized classified and classified information during a raid on Trump's home. He gave him a week to submit a copy of the document to the public prosecutor. Mar-a-Lago Estate last week.

A hearing was convened on Thursday after several media outlets, including The Associated Press, attempted to release additional records related to last week's raid, including affidavits. It may contain important details about a Justice Department investigation into whether Trump kept and mishandled classified government records.

READ MORE: Media urges US judge to release Donald Trump's search warrant affidavit

The Justice Department is adamantly opposed to releasing affidavits, which would jeopardize the ongoing investigation. , argued that the identities of witnesses could be revealed, preventing others from coming forward and cooperating with the government.

It argued that due to the unprecedented nature of the ministry's investigation, disclosure was necessary.

"You can't trust what you can't see," said Chuck Tobin, an attorney representing the AP and other news organizations.

In addition to ordering redaction, the judge agrees to release other documents, such as warrant covers, DOJ motions to seal documents, and judge orders requiring sealing.

These documents show that the FBI specifically investigated "deliberate retention of national defense information," concealment or deletion of government records, and obstruction of federal investigations. is showing.

Jay Bratt, top national security prosecutor at the Department of Justice, said he would keep affidavits hidden from the public. argued that it should. He said unpacking it would provide a "roadmap" for the investigation, that it was in the "early stages" and reveal next steps for federal investigators and prosecutors to take. 45} He argued that it was in the public interest to allow the investigation to proceed unhindered, including interviewing witnesses.

As the hearings began, a small caravan of Trump flagged cars drove past the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump's attorney Christina Bob was in court on Thursday but said she was there only to observe court proceedings.

Read more: US Prosecutor should consider releasing details of Trump investigation: Former adviser

Bratt in court , argued that even redacted versions of documents could reveal investigative procedures or create the ability for detectives and those of interest in investigations to identify witnesses to cases. He argued that the Justice Department was already making rare efforts to bring about transparency, including asking the court to open the warrants and property receipts that were made public last week.

I will," he admitted. "This is probably an unprecedented situation."

Mr. Trump last week called for transparency in a post on Truth Social. I asked for the release of an unredacted affidavit to secure it.

Reinhart asked the government to submit a version containing the proposed amendments by next Thursday. He said he would consider it and might give him a chance to meet with government lawyers and discuss why he should withhold certain information.

Justice Department attorneys said in court filings that an investigation into Mr Trump's handling of "highly classified material"

According to recent documents filed by Blatt and Miami federal prosecutor Juan Antonio Gonzalez, releasing the affidavit "

"If disclosed, the affidavit will serve as a roadmap to the government's ongoing investigation." and provide concrete details about its direction and possible course in a way that is very likely to undermine future investigative procedures,” they wrote.

FBI agents searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion on August 8. , deleted 11 sets of confidential documents. Not only is it a secret, it's also "confidential compartmentalized information," according to a receipt for what was filmed, which was released Friday. This is a special category intended to protect the nation's most important secrets, which, if disclosed, could cause "very serious" harm to U.S. interests. Court records do not give specific details about the information that the documents may contain.

Balsamo reported from New York.

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