Just Released: Read the DOJ’s Redacted Affidavit for Searching Trump’s Estate

Jon Elswick/AP

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.The Justice Department just released a redacted affidavit related to the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. The document provides more information about the justification for the warrant and the criminal investigation into confidential documents retrieved from the Florida estate. Affidavits typically remain sealed during pending investigations, but in this case the DOJ unsealed the affidavit in response to a court order following requests by media outlets to make the document public.
“[T]he materials the government marked for redaction…must remain sealed to protect the safety and privacy of a significant number of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and to avoid disclosure of grand jury material in violation of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure,” the DOJ said in a 14-page memo explaining the reasoning behind the redactions.
But despite the redactions, there were some interesting revelations that surfaced in the affidavit. “There is probable cause to believe that additional documents that contain classified (National Defense Information) or that are Presidential records subject to record retention requirements currently remain at [Mar-a-Lago],” the affidavit says. “There is also probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found” there, it states. On Friday, Trump took to Truth Social to call the Justice Department and the FBI “political hacks and thugs” and criticized Judge Bruce Reinhart for allowing the raid. 

“Probable cause” for obstruction. pic.twitter.com/Dd1vX4W78A
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) August 26, 2022

The affidavit shows that 14 out of 15 boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago by the National Archives and Record Administration had 184 classified documents, 25 of which were marked as “top secret.” 

Has this ever been said of another ex-president and his residence? #FruitsOfCrime
“…probable cause exists to believe that evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed in violation 18 U.S.C. §§ 793(e), 2071, or 1519 will be found at the PREMISES.” pic.twitter.com/PErGfPyXbG
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) August 26, 2022

You can read the redacted affidavit here: