DOJ Opposes Release Of Underlying Affidavit For FBI Mar-A-Lago Raid

The Department of Justice has opposed the release of the underlying FBI affidavit used to justify last week’s raid on Mar-a-Lago because they claim “it would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps,” according to Politico‘s Kyle Cheney.

“The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the DOJ said in a Monday court filing.

MORE: “The fact that this
investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation” pic.twitter.com/EkgkRD6oHd

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 15, 2022

Trump and other Republicans stepped up calls on Sunday for the release of the affidavit after a search warrant released last week indicated that Trump had 11 sets of classified documents at his home – which he told journalist John Solomon were declassified before they were taken out of the White House. The DOJ convinced a judge that they had probable cause to conduct the search due to potential violations of the Espionage Act – which have nothing to do with classification issues.

That said, the DOJ says it intends to unseal additional documents related to the raid.

JUST IN: DOJ says it intends to unseal additional documents related to the Mar-a-Lago search. https://t.co/J9cb8IYcc6 pic.twitter.com/fbD3FqSkkB

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 15, 2022

What’s more, the DOJ says the release of the FBI affidavit would “chill future cooperation” by witnesses.

NEW: DOJ is also worried the release of the FBI affidavit underlying the Mar-a-Lago search would “chill future cooperation” by witnesess — particularly when threats related to Trump probe are “not merely a hypothetical concern.”https://t.co/TUnPlXWRZY pic.twitter.com/oOdKaycXnr

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 15, 2022

HMMM: The judge presiding over the Fulton County grand jury probe of Donald Trump and his allie has instituted a set of redacted “security procedures” regarding the “Grand Jury’s report drafting work.” pic.twitter.com/RiX6Xvpljw

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 15, 2022

Republicans are calling for more information on what persuaded an anti-Trump federal judge to issue the search warrant.

“I think a releasing the affidavit would help, at least that would confirm that there was justification for this raid,” GOP Senator Mike Rounds told NBC‘s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, adding that the DOJ should “show that this was not just a fishing expedition, that they had due cause to go in and to do this, that they did exhaust all other means.”

“And if they can’t do that, then we’ve got a serious problem on our hands.”

DOJ opposes transparency as it wages its years-long political war on former President Trump and his supporters. https://t.co/YkC5TsBINp

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) August 15, 2022

Separately on Sunday, the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Marco Rubio, asked the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to provide the seized documents on a classified basis.

A spokesperson for the committee, charged with oversight of the handling of classified information, said the two senators had also requested “an assessment of potential risks to national security” as a result of possible mishandling of the files.

Representative Mike Turner, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN on Sunday that the Biden administration should provide more details on what led to the search.

“Congress is saying, ‘Show us. We want to know what did the FBI tell them? What did they find?’” Turner said. –Reuters

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Clown show from top to bottom. https://t.co/swxNeBTtHz

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) August 15, 2022

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