(TheRedAlertNews.com) – The Justice Department of President Joe Biden’s administration has refused to make public the FBI affidavit that justified last week’s raid on former President Donald Trump’s home in Palm Springs, Florida.
The search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence took more than 30 FBI agents and 10 hours, as they were reportedly looking for government documents that he may have taken with him after leaving the White House in January 2021.
The department run by Biden’s Attorney General, Merrick Garland, has said it could agree to make public only “less descriptive documents.”
The DOJ’s refusal to release the Trump FBI raid affidavit was revealed on Monday in a court filing signed by South Florida US attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Justice Department counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt, The New York Post reported.
“If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps,” the federal prosecutors wrote.
They argued that even if a redacted version of the affidavit were made public, it “would not serve any public interest” due to the number of details that would have to be omitted.
“As the Court is aware from its review of the affidavit, it contains, among other critically important and detailed investigative facts: highly sensitive information about witnesses, including witnesses interviewed by the government; specific investigative techniques; and information required by law to be kept under seal,” the filing states.
The document stated further that any data on witnesses would be “particularly sensitive given the high-profile nature of this matter,” while a potential leak of the witness identities would likely negatively affect the witnesses’ preparedness to aid this and other high-profile investigations.
“The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the Justice Department stated.
Gonzalez and Bratt declared the DOJ would be willing to release other documents, such as cover sheets for the initial search warrant application, the government’s motion to seal the warrant, and the sealing order, which US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart issued.
Former President Donald Trump insists that he declassified any government documents that may have been stored at his home.
If he gets convicted of mishandling government papers, Trump could potentially be disqualified from holding public office again and running in the 2024 presidential election.
A request for the release of the affidavit has been submitted to the US District Court for Southern Florida by the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, while other media outlets are seeking related documents.
What is your opinion? Do you believe the affidavit filed to get the search warrant should be made public? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts and views by emailing [email protected]. Thank you.
