Justice Department asks court to seal Trump Mar-a-Lago FBI search warrant
As the fallout from the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago continues, the Justice Department has filed a motion to unseal the search warrant used by federal agents to seize documents from the former president’s home Donald Trump in Florida.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the move, stressing that the decision was not taken lightly and that he personally authorized the decision to seek the warrant.
Meanwhile, reports have revealed that the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago may have been spurred by an informant at the resort who informed the bureau that Trump and his team had not turned over all relevant documents stored at the former president’s Florida. residence It’s still unclear who the informant might be, but Monday’s raid saw officers search private areas, including a bedroom.
The former president and some members of his legal team have claimed without providing evidence that agents could have planted evidence in his home.
Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment 440 times yesterday in his sworn statement to the long-running New York State investigation into his real estate dealings. His children Ivanka and Donald Jr recently gave statements to the civil inquiry after months of fighting subpoenas for their testimony.
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Analysis: How Merrick Garland Just Called Donald Trump’s Bluff
It was all over and over pretty quickly so it was easy to get lost.
But in announcing Thursday that the Justice Department had asked a court to unseal the warrant given to the FBI to raid Mar-a-Lago, Attorney General Merrick Garland also did something else: He called Donald Trump a bluff. trump
“The property receipt is a document that federal law requires law enforcement officers to leave with the property owner,” said Garland, speaking at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.
“The Department filed the motion to make the order and receipt public in light of the former president’s public confirmation with a finding of the surrounding circumstances and substantial public interest in this matter.”
Or to put it another way, either shut up or shut up, Mr. Trump.
Andrew Buncombe, chief US correspondent for The Independent, takes a look at how Garland threw down the gauntlet for the former president.
How attorney Merrick Garland just called Donald Trump’s bluff
Analysis: We will soon know who is telling the truth
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 10:30 pm
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More Trump cabinet members speaking to committee Jan. 6
More members of Trump’s cabinet are testifying or in talks with the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
The committee recently interviewed former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and is in talks with former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien is scheduled to testify before the committee tomorrow, sources tell NBC News.
Both Ms. Chao and Ms. DeVos resigned the day after the Capitol riot and had discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from power.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the group on Tuesday and reportedly also discussed the 25th Amendment being considered, according to CNN.
The network also reports that the committee is still negotiating terms for a possible interview with former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.
A total of nine cabinet-level Trump officials are known to have pledged to the committee.
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 10:08 p.m
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Is Trump being investigated under the Espionage Act?
The Independent’s John Bowden looks at how Trump’s handling of classified documents could fall under the parameters of the Espionage Act if he is found to have mishandled national security documents.
Is Trump being investigated for national security concerns under the Espionage Act?
Potential criminal violations could be more serious than simply breaking the records law
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 10:00 p.m
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Trump’s team hasn’t decided how to respond
CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins reports that former President Donald Trump and his legal team have not yet decided how to respond to the Justice Department’s motion to unseal the warrant used to search Mar-a-Lago.
The department has been instructed to consult with the former president and his legal team about his request and to tell the court by 3pm on Friday whether Mr Trump objects to the release of the order .
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:58 p.m
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Trump gets sidetracked with another conspiracy as Garland asks to unstick the Mar-a-Lago order
Donald Trump on Thursday aimed his firing at a longtime favorite target after Attorney General Merrick Garland called his bluff and filed a motion to unseal the search warrant used to justify the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago.
In a Truth Social post that came as Mr. Garland publicly addressed Monday’s search of his Florida compound and home, Mr. Trump asked why the Justice Department was not investigating Barack Obama for presidential records that the library Obama’s presidential campaign is being digitized for later publication.
Trump swerves conspiratorially as Merrick Garland asks to unstick the Mar-a-Lago order
The former president attacks one of his favorite targets as the feds call his bluff
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:32 pm
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Trump comments on Truth Social
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump says:
My lawyers and representatives were fully cooperating and very good relations had been established. The government could have had whatever it wanted, if we had it. We were asked to put an extra lock in a certain area – DONE! Everything was going well, better than most past presidents, and then, out of nowhere and without warning, Mar-a-Lago was raided, at 6:30 in the morning, by HUGE numbers of agents, and even “safecrackers”. “. They got way ahead of themselves. Crazy!
He goes on to claim that the agents went through Melania Trump’s closets:
….I just learned that agents went through the First Lady’s closets and rummaged through her clothes and personal items. Surprisingly, the area left in a relative mess. Wow!
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:26 p.m
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The newly filed order gives Trump 24 hours to respond
The new order filed by the Department of Justice gives Donald Trump until 3:00 p.m. on August 12 to respond whether he wants to keep the order sealed or not.
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:25 pm
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Why doesn’t Trump release the search warrant himself?
There is nothing to prevent him from making the order public.
Here is our previous report on the subject.
Why Won’t Donald Trump Release FBI Search Warrant at Mar-a-Lago?
The former president is out of order, hiding his potentially damaging allegations or using the political storm to his advantage as he bids for 2024.
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:15 pm
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Kushner? Melania?: It could be any of them
Jared Kushner, Melania Trump and many others have been singled out as potential FBI informants following the raid at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s private club in South Florida.
Kushner and Melania pointed out potential moles as walls close in on Trump
“We knew that Donald Trump was going to try to light up the whole country and try to psychologically destabilize the moment this raid happened,” says Rick Wilson.
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:09 p.m
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Earlier: Judge who signed order tells DoJ to respond to request to strike it down
The judge who signed the order authorizing the FBI to search Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence has instructed the Justice Department to respond to a request to unseal it.
Mr Trump has the prerogative to release the order himself, but has yet to do so despite calls from across the political spectrum to make it public. As a result, newspapers and campaign groups are suing to obtain it for public scrutiny.
Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered Wednesday that “on or before August 15, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the Government shall file a response to the motion to sever.
Andrew Naughtie reported the news today.
Judge who signed Mar-a-Lago FBI warrant tells DoJ to respond to request to strike it down
Bruce Reinhart has been the target of violent and anti-Semitic threats after authorizing an FBI raid on Trump’s residence
Oliver O’Connell August 11, 2022 9:01 pm