US releases redacted version of Donald Trump’s residence search request

Ministry of Justice USA published this Friday a heavily redacted version of an affidavit that convinced a judge to authorize a search of a home in Florida former president Donald Trump

The text, which does not contain explosive revelations due to the large number of edited passages, gives an idea of ​​how Donald Trump kept potentially confidential documents at home Sea-lakein Florida, and about the authorities’ concern about his apparent recklessness.

Investigators were especially concerned that potentially top-secret documents were kept in an unsecured room, which could even pose a danger to undercover American intelligence agents.

The issued order explains that the investigation began after National Archival Agency (NARA), which is responsible for registering presidential activity, will indicate in February Ministry of Justice which I received from the team Donald Trump15 cases of documentation, including “top secret files”.

An investigation later launched by the federal police confirmed that the boxes contained 184 classified documents, including 25 top secret ones, and led investigators to believe that “other documents, including top secret national defense information,” were still in possession. Sea-lake.

These sensitive files “were not handled properly and stored in an appropriate location,” according to a letter from Ministry of Justice lawyers Mr. Donald Trump quoted in a report released Friday.

August 8 agents FBI raided the residence Sea-lakehaving seized about thirty boxes with a large number of strictly secret documents.

public interest

During the operation, agents recorded 58 rooms and 33 bathroomsunder a search warrant, angering supporters of the former president.

Given the political storm that had erupted, the Attorney General had to organize a very unusual press conference in which he assured that he “personally approved” the raid.

Citing great public interest in this unprecedented search of the former president’s home, a federal judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the department to release the documents, which were made public on Friday.

But the judge agreed with the Justice Department’s argument that there was a “pressing” need to withhold important parts of the document.

Authorities waited until the last minute to comply with the magistrate’s order, releasing the 38-page document on Friday afternoon (1600 GMT), a deadline set by Reinhart.

The judiciary objected for a time to opening the document, arguing that it would require editing “so extensive that the remaining plaintext would be left without text”. meaningful content”.

“Failed Nation”

After Friday Post Donald Trump he condemned again in his network TruthSocial a “Witch-hunt” and pointed out that these court documents contained “nothing” regarding “nuclear”, as the US media had for some time assumed.

“Now we live in a country without law, which is also a failed nation!” – said the former Republican president.

Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday, urging the court to appoint an independent party to review files seized in a raid on FBI and determine which ones can keep the print “confidentially”which could potentially block researchers’ access to documents.

List of items seized FBI, already made public, includes numerous documents classified as “top secret”. The whole point is to know what they are about.

Investigators suspect that the Republican violated the US espionage law, which strictly regulates the possession of confidential documents. He claimed that these documents were declassified.

Trump is also the subject of an investigation into his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and his role in his supporters’ assault on parliament. Capitol January 6, 2021.

The mogul, who is flirting with the idea of ​​running for president in 2024, has long claimed he was the victim of a “witch hunt.”

(AFP)