A federal judge in Florida has ordered the release of more information from the search warrant affidavit that led the FBI to discover a trove of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida resort.
In a ruling on Wednesday, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart denied a request by media organizations, including NBC News, to release the full affidavit in the wake of last month’s related criminal charges against the former president, but found “additional parts of the search warrant request must be opened”.
Reinhart said the Justice Department agreed in a sealed filing that some additional parts of the search warrant could be made public, but asked that other parts remain sealed to “comply with grand jury confidentiality rules and to protect sources and methods.” research”.
The judge said that the Department of Justice “has met its burden of demonstrating that the proposed wording of the affidavit is strictly designed to serve the legitimate interests of the Government and is the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire warrant affidavit.” trespassing”.
It’s unclear when the less redacted version will be filed, or how new the information will be to the public, as it will most likely involve information contained in the 37-count federal indictment unsealed last month.
Trump is charged with violating seven different laws, including 31 counts of willful withholding of national defense information and unique counts of false statements and representations, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding of a document or record, corrupt concealment of a document, concealment of a document in a federal office. investigation and a plan to cover up.
He pleaded not guilty in the case, stating that he had declassified the documents and that he could do with them whatever he wanted.
Reinhart is the judge who approved the Justice Department’s request for a search warrant on Trump’s property in August of last year. He previously ordered other parts of the search warrant to be made public.
His order on Wednesday showed that the Justice Department is also trying to keep secret his motion to limit disclosure of some materials in the case so they can be released to Trump’s lawyers.
The judge said he would allow that motion to remain sealed because it “identifies investigative steps that have not yet been made public,” but would allow his ruling on the government’s request to be made public because it “does not reveal the content of any discovery material.” .
Reinhart suspended that order until July 13 to give the government time to decide if it wants to appeal.
Peter Carr, a spokesman for special counsel Jack Smith, declined to comment.
Trump’s co-defendant in the case, aide and former White House valet Walt Nauta, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
