The judge had shown understanding, partly because those involved had already been threatened. Parts that could harm the criminal investigation have also been censored.
Twenty boxes of some highly confidential government documents were seized at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, had gone to court to see the document in the hopes of clarifying the possible criminal offenses alleged by police to justify the search.
‘Evidence of obstruction’
Earlier this year, the former president handed over 15 boxes of documents to the National Archives. Fourteen of these contain documents with the status confidential, secret or top secret, according to the released document. There were 25 of the latter category. The Justice Department wrote that there were good reasons to believe that “evidence of obstruction” would be found in Trump’s home.
Trump has also advocated lifting the confidential status of the FBI document, partly on the assumption that the case is politically motivated. He has filed a case demanding that the FBI stop the investigation until a regulator is appointed.
The previously released search warrant and a list of seized items showed that some of the material found in Trump’s residence also had “top secret” status, which according to protocols must be stored in government facilities. This may have violated the Espionage Act.