Donald Trump: Judge orders release of redacted version of court documents

• A US judge has ordered investigators to release a redacted version of court documents.
• They were used to justify a search of the Florida property of Donald Trump.
• The affidavit may reveal additional information regarding the investigation into possible misuse of materials.

A US judge has ordered investigators to release a redacted version of court documents that were used to justify a search of the Florida property of former president Donald Trump.

The public version of the affidavit, a court document containing evidence provided by prosecutors, may reveal additional information regarding the investigation.

In light of its continuing investigation, the Department of Justice opposes the release of an unredacted version of the document.

The FBI search was a component of an investigation into the possible misuse of materials.

Mr. Trump has denied wrongdoing and insisted that he had already declassified the sensitive information that investigators claim were discovered at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

Thursday, US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the redacted distribution of the affidavit by Friday at noon (16:00 GMT).

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He stated that prosecutors had a “compelling reason” to redact portions of the document that would reveal the identity of witnesses, law enforcement officials, and uncharged individuals, as well as “the investigation’s strategy, direction, scope, and methods.”

His decision was rendered shortly after the justice department acknowledged it had submitted a copy of the affidavit with recommended redactions to the judge.

Even in its redacted version, the affidavit may reveal why Donald Trump reportedly brought secret materials with him during the turbulent closing days of his presidency and what he did while they were housed in Palm Beach.

The remainder may have to wait until criminal charges are filed, assuming they are filed at all.

The warrant was made public on August 12 alongside an inventory of recovered materials, which revealed that eleven sets of secret files had been removed from the estate.

Multiple news organisations have requested that the affidavit be opened, citing the public’s interest in the search of a former president’s house.

However, the Department of Justice fought the proposal, stating that releasing the information could cause “irreparable harm” to its current investigation. In addition, it was stated that the required redactions would render the paper “meaningless.”

Mr. Trump and his attorneys, who have characterised the Mar-a-Lago search as politically motivated and illegal, have demanded the release of the unredacted document.

Taylor Budowich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Trump, stated that efforts to “conceal” the contents of the dossier were “cynical” and may be used to “cover government wrongdoing.”

This week, Mr. Trump’s legal team requested that the investigation be halted and that a special master, an impartial third-party attorney, be appointed to oversee the records that the FBI seized during the search.

The search warrant implies that FBI investigators intended to determine if Mr. Trump committed a crime by inappropriately handling official data when he transferred them from the White House to Mar-a-Lago at the conclusion of his administration.

When they leave office, US presidents are required to submit papers and emails to the National Archives.

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