Release of affidavit in search of Donald Trump’s home opposed by US Justice Department
- The actual search warrant has already been made public, but the department wants the affidavit to remain sealed to protect the integrity of the investigation
- Releasing the document would possibly reveal information such as sources used by FBI agents and details about the files sought in the search
The US Justice Department said on Monday it opposes the release of an FBI affidavit justifying a search warrant used to seize documents at former US president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida last week.
While DOJ had asked the court to publicly release the search warrant last week, the department said in a filing on Monday that the affidavit “presents a very different set of considerations”.
“There remain compelling reasons, including to protect the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement investigation that implicates national security, that support keeping the affidavit sealed,” the department said in a filing in a Florida court.
The department responded to a request filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch and some media organisations seeking the release of all materials related to the unprecedented search of the former president’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of 11 sets of classified documents.
Last week, a Florida judge released the search warrant and list of material seized during the search after a request from the Justice Department that Trump did not oppose.
But the underlying affidavit would reveal the most extensive information used to justify the action, possibly including sources used by FBI agents and details about the documents and classified information.