The Justice Department said in court filings on Monday that it is opposed to the disclosure of the FBI affidavit that was used to support the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, the principal property of former President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department argued Monday in a court filing to the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida that the affidavit should remain sealed “to protect the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement investigation that implicates national security,” despite the fact that the department had not objected to the release of the search warrant last week.
The ultimate decision on whether the affidavit should be disclosed will be made by a court.
Several media organisations, including CBS News, asked the court last week for access to all records relating to the search warrant, including any supporting affidavits.
Key information on the government’s investigation of Trump is probably included in the affidavit.
However, the Justice Department claimed in a court filing on Monday that “the redactions necessary to mitigate harms to the integrity of the investigation would be so extensive that it would render the remaining unsealed text devoid of meaningful content, and the release of such a redacted version would not serve any public interest.”
The Justice Department acknowledged that it had “carefully considered whether the affidavit can be released subject to redactions.”
However, the Justice Department respectfully asks a chance to provide the Court with recommended redactions if the Court decides to grant partial unsealing of the affidavit.
Other files related to the search warrant, the government’s application to seal the search warrant, and cover sheets related to the search warrant, according to the Justice Department, would be allowed to be made public.