Because the raid is politically extremely sensitive, the US Department of Justice submitted a request to the judge last week to make the search warrant public. The search warrant and inventory list were then released on Friday. But that did not mean that the entire dossier against Trump was made public.
Several US media outlets, including CNN and The Washington Postto have asked the judge to also release any sworn statements the FBI had filed in support of the search warrant. Republican allies of the former US president also want to know what the prosecutors based their suspicions on.
However, according to the American judiciary, full disclosure does more harm than good. Releasing the affidavit ‘very likely jeopardizes future investigative steps’, prosecutors write in their plea. In addition, it would discourage witnesses from cooperating with current or possible future investigations.
Source protection
It is not surprising that the prosecutors want to protect their sources, given a number of recent violent incidents. For example, late last week, an armed man attempted to break into an FBI office in Cincinnati. After a chase, he was shot dead by the police.
If the ministry does have to release the affidavit, it will have to paint so many passages that the remaining text “no longer has any meaningful content,” prosecutors warn. “Releasing such an edited version would not serve any public interest.”
Releasing documents from an ongoing investigation is highly unusual anyway. Normally, the ministry refrains from making any comment in those cases.
The previously released search warrant revealed that Trump is suspected of violating the Espionage Act and two other laws. While searching his golf resort, the FBI found 11 documents classified as “top secret.” Trump should no longer have these documents in his possession.