August 26, 2022

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

There’s “probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found” at Mar-a-Lago, it states.

Jon Elswick/AP

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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. 

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.” 

You can read the redacted affidavit here:

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

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