(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton made the following statement regarding Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart’s latest decision granting Judicial Watch’s motion and ordering that “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 no small victory for transparency and against government corruption, the court finally granted Judicial Watch’s request and ordered the release of the redacted affidavit used to justify the warrant in the unprecedented raid on the home of former President Trump. We expect the redactions to be unnecessary and that they will demonstrate contempt for the American people’s right to know the entire story about the Biden administration’s wild abuse of power. This legal battle for accountability is just getting started.
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 itsfiling, 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.