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A federal judge in Florida said he is likely to order the release of a key court document behind the search of former US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, despite warnings from the Department of Justice (DoJ) that its disclosure could „irreparably harm“ an ongoing criminal investigation.
The legal fight is over an affidavit, which establishes probable cause in a criminal case, names witnesses to a potential crime and lays out a likely path toward criminal prosecution.
On Thursday, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the DOJ to prepare redactions to the affidavit that led to the August 8 search by August 25.
While Reinhart said he had not been convinced yet to keep the entire document under seal, the government would have another chance to argue its case on August 25.
„I’m inclined not to seal the entire affidavit,“ the judge said.
The DOJ had on Monday asked the court to keep the affidavit under seal in its entirety, warning that its disclosure could cause „significant and irreparable damage“ to its criminal probe.
