Today, August 22, Judge Bruce Reinhart formally rejected the DOJ’s argument to keep sealed the affidavit that led to the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. He called the search “unprecedented” and declared that unsealing the information was of “intense public and historical interest.”
A number of media outlets filed to have the affidavit released, a move that Trump publicly supported. The Justice Department, however, were reluctant and argued that such an unsealing could cause problems for any developing cases and provide a “roadmap” that could hamper further efforts.
“The Government argues that even requiring it to redact portions of the Affidavit that could not reveal agent identities or investigative sources and methods imposes an undue burden on its resources and sets a precedent that could be disruptive and burdensome in future cases,” Reinhart wrote in his order.
He specified, “Particularly given the intense public and historical interest in an unprecedented search of a former President’s residence, the Government has not yet shown that these administrative concerns are sufficient to justify sealing.”
This means that the DOJ must adhere to the judge’s Aug. 25 deadline to prepare the affidavit with proposed redactions, as previously reported by Liberty Nation.
