A federal magistrate judge in Florida ordered the Justice Department to release by noon Friday its redacted version of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit.
The warrant authorized the FBI to search former President Donald Trump’s home and private club earlier this month.
Department officials filed redactions to the documents shortly before the noon Thursday deadline set by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the warrant for the Aug. 8 search of the complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“[T]he government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the continuing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit,” Judge Reinhart wrote in his order, which he issued on Thursday afternoon after reviewing the government’s sealed submission.
It is ORDERED that:
- The Intervenors’ Motion to Unseal [ECF No. 4] is GRANTED IN PART.
- On or before noon Eastern time on Friday, August 26, 2022, the
Government shall file in the public docket a version of the Affidavit
containing the redactions proposed in ECF No. 89-1.
The release of the redacted affidavit could lead to the public learning more about the unprecedented law-enforcement action, but it isn’t clear how heavily redacted the affidavit will be. The Justice Department said last week during a court hearing that the redactions could be so major that nothing of substance would be made public.
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