Judge formally rejects DOJ request to seal Trump affidavit
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (NewsNation) — A federal judge Monday formally rejected the Justice Department’s argument to keep the entire affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida sealed.
Judge Bruce Reinhart made the decision last week but Monday formalizes it. Reinhart will allow the Justice Department until Thursday to provide a redacted version to the court. The judge said there are portions of the affidavit that could be unsealed.
The affidavit prosecutors used to get the search warrant for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home could provide more specific details as to what the Department of Justice believed was at Mar-a-Lago and why they felt the need to search the home.
The release of the search warrant painted a picture of the possible crimes authorities believe Trump may have committed, including violating the Espionage Act. The warrant also revealed 33 documents ranging from “top secret” to “classified” were pulled from the estate.
Trump and his legal team claim all of the documents were declassified and rightfully in his possession. The fact the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago indicates authorities do not believe that claim to be true.
You can read Reinhart’s full ruling in the document here.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.