DOJ Moves to Unseal Warrant on Trump's Mar-a- Lago Residence

Washington -- August 11, 2022; Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Thursday that the Department of Justice is moving to unseal the search warrant and an itemized receipt

of what was taken from the former president Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this week. This was his first public statement following the FBI search.

The Department of Justice rarely speaks about an ongoing investigation, especially one involving a prominent figure, and Garland declined to accept questions from reporters. “The department filed the motion to make public the warrant and receipt in light of the former president’s public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter,” Garland said.

 As he was speaking, a motion to unseal the warrant was submitted. Before the warrant may be released, a judge must make a decision.
The day-long search of Trump's Florida estate by the FBI was kept a secret. Trump made the announcement in a statement, inciting the far right, who have accused the FBI and Department of Justice of politicization, by referring to the legally mandated search as a "raid."

Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart gave the department until 3 p.m. Eastern on Friday to report back on whether Trump's legal team planned to fight unsealing the warrant. If so, Trump will have the chance to contest making the warrant and list of retrieved papers public.

WNCTIMES by Marjorie Farrington