DOJ opposes making public details in Mar-a-Lago search warrant's probable cause affidavit
Source: CNN
(CNN) The Justice Department is opposing the release of details in an affidavit that lays out the argument that investigators made to a federal magistrate judge explaining the probable cause it had to search former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate last week. In their new filing arguing for some continued secrecy, the Justice Department made clear the seriousness of the ongoing criminal investigation, saying it "implicates highly classified materials."
"Disclosure of the government's affidavit at this stage would also likely chill future cooperation by witnesses whose assistance may be sought as this investigation progresses, as well as in other high-profile investigations," the Justice Department wrote. "The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and exacerbates the potential harm if information is disclosed to the public prematurely or improperly."
Media organizations including CNN had asked for the affidavit to be unsealed after the search last week at Trump's Palm Beach, Florida, club and residence. The Justice Department said in its filing that disclosing the affidavit details "at this juncture" would "cause significant and irreparable damage to this ongoing criminal investigation."
"The redactions necessary to mitigate harms to the integrity of the investigation would be so extensive as to 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 stated. NN, joined by The Washington Post, NBC News and Scripps, asked the judge last week to unseal all documents -- including any probable cause affidavits -- connected to the FBI search.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/15/politics/justice-department-mar-a-lago-search-affidavit/index.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
which are often in conflict.
Garland has dealt with 2 extraordinary media fiasco cases in the past - the "Unabomber" (Ted Kaczynski) and the Oklahoma City bombing (Timothy McVeigh), so he knows the deal.
ETA -
As a senior Justice Department official, Merrick Garland brought ‘very different types of people together in a common effort, from the Oklahoma City bombing investigation to the very challenging Unabomber case,’ former Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick says. She is shown with Garland in 1995 in her office at the Justice Department. Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post
Merrick Garland, then-associate deputy attorney general, speaks to the media following the hearing of Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh, in El Reno, Okla., on April 27, 1995.
Rick Bowmer/AP
