In a case that is pitting news organizations against federal prosecutors in the United States, a US judge believes that some of the evidence in the affidavit the US Justice Department presented to justify its raid of Trump’s Florida home last week should be unsealed.
According to the media demands, the US public deserves to know what documents the FBI used to get approval to search Trump’s residence. The public interest is specifically emphasized after the FBI’s search prompted increased threats against law enforcement officials.
They appeared in West Palm Beach’s federal court on Thursday to persuade the judge that the public interest in the affidavit outweighs the benefits of keeping it sealed.
US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart says that there are parts of the affidavit- the sworn statement laying out the evidence for why there was probable cause to search Mar-a-Lago – that could be unsealed despite objections by the Justice Department.
With an order that seems to mark a victory for news outlets, he gave the DOJ a deadline by noon next Thursday to file a redacted version of the affidavit under seal, noting at the same time that the department could appeal if prosecutors do not agree with his proposed version.
Carol Jean LoCiero, a lawyer that represents some of the larger media outlets included in the media appeal, underscored that since it is involving the actions of current and former government officials, the matter is one of utmost public interest.
Former President Donald Trump has also repeatedly called for the release of the affidavit, decrying the raid as an assault that could only happen in Third World countries
Pointing out another public interest at stake – that criminal investigations are able to go forward unimpeded- Jay Bratt, head of the DOJ’s counterintelligence and export control section, argues that releasing the affidavit is not in the public interest because it could harm the investigation.
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