WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2022) US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart is not yet convinced that the entirety of an affidavit used to secure a search warrant on former US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence should remain hidden from the public but needs more information from lawyers, according to the report.
The US Justice Department told the court during a hearing that releasing the affidavit could jeopardize the ongoing investigation and threaten FBI agents without heavy redactions.
Justice Department national security lawyer Jay Bratt argued that recent threats against the FBI and its agents following the raid - including a recent standoff at a Cincinnati field office - would make it necessary to redact information about agents who have worked on the investigation so far, the report said.
The Justice Department also has concerns about the affidavit's release dissuading future witnesses from participating with investigators, Bratt reportedly said. Some witnesses who are already involved have given very specific information that could reveal their identities if released, Bratt said.
Releasing the affidavit would provide a "roadmap" of the investigation to the public and reveal the probe's next steps, Bratt also said.
Several media organizations requested the affidavit's release with redactions, citing public interest. However, the necessary redactions would be extensive and take much of the purpose out of its release to the public, Bratt said during the hearing.
Reinhart plans to hear more about the extent to which the government wishes to redact the affidavit next week, according to the report.
