Parts of Trump search warrant affidavit to be unsealed Friday, judge orders

A redacted version of the affidavit used to obtain a search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s Florida home will be unsealed Friday, a federal magistrate judge ordered.

The order Thursday came hours after the Department of Justice submitted a sealed proposal to the judge detailing how it wanted portions of that affidavit kept secret if the document were to be made public.

Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart wrote that he agreed the DOJ “has met its burden” in showing there was a compelling reason to seal portions of the affidavit because disclosure would reveal the identities of law enforcement agents, witnesses and uncharged parties, as well as “the investigation’s strategy” and direction.

FBI agents, carrying the warrant issued on the basis of the affidavit, on Aug. 8 raided Trump’s residence at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach and seized a dozen or so boxes of documents as part of a criminal investigation of the removal of presidential records from the White House when he left office in January 2021.

A group of media organizations had asked Reinhart to unseal the entire affidavit.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.