A judge approved Tuesday the release of a less redacted version of the affidavit laying out the legal underpinnings for the FBI’s August search-and-seizure of material from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Federal prosecutors at the Justice Department petitioned the court to release the new version of the affidavit, amid criticism that the original version released back in August concealed too much information from the public.
TRUMP MAY STILL HAVE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RECOVERED: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
The newly unredacted portions of the affidavit revealed that the Justice Department subpoena for surveillance camera footage demanded footage that dated back to Jan. 10. The DOJ had sought footage to gauge who may have had access to the documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump and others have implored the court to release the full affidavit to the general public. Initially, the DOJ resisted releasing the affidavit, citing national security concerns, but Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the Mar-a-Lago search, demanded an initial draft be released last month.
FBI officials retrieved roughly 26 boxes of material and over 100 documents with classified markings during the August raid, with information ranging from “CONFIDENTIAL to TOP SECRET information,” according to the affidavit. Trump has denied wrongdoing, claiming he declassified the material confiscated.
Here is a look at the newly released version of the affidavit.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The DOJ is investigating whether violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice occurred as part of their inquiry into the classified documents, according to an unsealed warrant for the August raid.
The affidavit with the original slate of redactions is below:
