Judicial Watch Victory: Trump Raid Affidavit Released

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton made the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) highly redacted affidavit released in response to Judicial Watch’s court request to unseal the warrant materials used in the unprecedented raid on the home of former President Trump:

In a remarkable and historic victory for transparency, Judicial Watch today forced the release of the infamous and heavily redacted Trump raid affidavit. Now we know why the Biden Justice Department did not want to release this material, as it exposes how there was significant evidence of President Trump’s cooperation, a major legal dispute about the legal status of the records believed to be in Trump’s possession, and that the FBI abusively raided his home anyway. The Biden Justice Department’s dishonest redactions of the reasons for its redactions makes a mockery of the American people’s right to know the entire story about this FBI raid, which was a wild abuse of power by the Biden administration.

This legal battle for accountability is just getting started.

Additional filings were also unsealed today.

Yesterday, in response to a Judicial Watch request, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the redacted version of the search warrant affidavit be unsealed by noon today.

Judicial Watch has been in the forefront in the court battle for transparency regarding the abusive FBI raid.

On August 9, Judicial Watch filed its motion asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to unseal as soon as possible the search warrant materials used by the FBI to raid President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida (U.S. v. Sealed Search Warrant (Case No. 9:22-mj-08332)).

On August 11, the DOJ filed a motion offering to unseal certain warrant materials.

On August 12, Judicial Watch Judicial Watch filed President Trump’s public statement with the court, in which he made it clear that he would not oppose the release of documents related to the August 8, 2022, raid. Later that day, the DOJ made a partial release of the Trump raid warrant materials.

Initially, the Albany Times Union and the New York Times joined Judicial Watch in filing for the unsealing of the warrant by filing an amicus letter and motion respectively. Other interests later joined in the effort.

The Justice Department was ordered by Magistrate Judge Reinhart to respond by August 15 to Judicial Watch’s Motion to Unseal the warrant and supporting materials behind the FBI raid. In its filing, the Justice Department alleged that releasing the affidavit would “cause significant and irreparable damage” to its ongoing criminal investigation.

The court also ordered the release of other documents concerning the warrant.

On August 17, Judicial Watch submitted its reply to the DOJ’s effort to keep under seal the affidavit used to justify the controversial raid on the home of former President Trump. Judicial Watch cited former President Trump’s support for the release of the affidavit.

After last week’s hearing in West Palm Beach, FL, the court issued an order which stated:

As I ruled from the bench at the conclusion of the hearing, I find that on the present record the Government has not met its burden of showing that the entire affidavit should remain sealed. It is ORDERED that by noon EST on Thursday, August 25, 2022, the Government shall file under seal its proposed redactions along with a legal memorandum setting forth the justification for the proposed redactions.

Four additional filings were made public on August 22, click here.

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