![]() “That said, the former President should have an opportunity to respond to this Motion and lodge objections, including with regards to any ‘legitimate privacy interests’ or the potential for other ‘injury’ if these materials are made public.” “Given the intense public interest presented by a search of a residence of a former President, the government believes these factors favor unsealing the search warrant" and related materials, the filing says. The filing notes that Trump and his lawyers have copies of both the warrant and a "redacted Property Receipt listing items seized pursuant to the search" - and that they can object to the public release of those documents. The Justice Department's motion filed Thursday does not seek to make public the affidavit of probable cause, which includes the FBI's justification for searching Mar-a-Lago.Īccording to the court filing, a federal judge signed off on the search warrant last Friday. ![]() “If there’s no there there, you would expect the president agrees.” attorney and FBI official who has worked in Democratic and Republican administrations. “I thought it was both completely appropriate and absolutely brilliant to ask the president’s lawyers to weigh in on a decision to unseal,” said Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. Under the motion filed by prosecutors, Trump now has two choices: He can allow the warrant to be made public, or he can keep it secret and risk appearing as if he has something to hide. Garland on Thursday put the onus on Trump to reveal more about the search, deflecting criticism that the Justice Department has been overly secretive. The White House was not given advance notice of Garland’s remarks, a senior White House official said. ![]() law enforcement, and I’m frankly astonished that no one has bothered to explain or justify it in any way.” ![]() “This is a completely unprecedented move by U.S. If not, this person added, “everyone will assume the worst.” But when you’re talking about sending dozens of FBI agents into the bedroom of the former president of the United States to go through his drawers, you need to explain what’s going on.” Garland’s appearance Thursday followed an outpouring of criticism from Justice Department officials and alumni who faulted him both for his reticence amid the unprecedented search of an ex-president’s home and for failing to defend federal agents from unfounded claims that they had planted evidence.Ī former Justice Department official told NBC News: “In a normal investigation, secrecy is important and justified. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, a friend of the former president, said that while the two men had not discussed the investigation, “my guess is he’s pretty shocked.” Ruddy echoed Trump’s attacks on the FBI, calling the search a “publicity stunt” and depicting the Justice Department as politicized. Trump this year had to return 15 boxes of documents that the National Archives and Records Administration said were improperly taken from the White House.Ī separate source confirmed an earlier Wall Street Journal report by telling NBC News that “someone familiar” with documents inside Mar-a-Lago told investigators there may have been more classified documents at the club than were initially turned over, leading in part to the search on Monday.ĭuring Thursday's remarks, Garland also defended the Justice Department against “unfounded” attacks made by Trump and his allies. Trump's team added a second lock to the basement storage area, the source said. The source familiar with the matter told NBC News that Trump's lawyers last heard from the Justice Department before the FBI search shortly after the June meeting, when federal officials asked for additional security in the storage facility where documents were held. The federal officials who went to Mar-a-Lago for the June meeting were "coming down to retrieve the documents that were being requested" in the subpoena, the source said, adding that the meeting was arranged with the Trump team's understanding that turning over relevant documents that day would fulfill the subpoena.Ĭiting "two sources briefed on the classified documents" sought in the subpoena, The New York Times reported Thursday that federal officials were prompted to search Mar-a-Lago because uncollected material was particularly sensitive to national security. ![]()
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