Will the affidavit underlying the Trump home search be released? "Try submitting an edited version of the content"

Photo of documents related to the search warrant for the Mar-a-Lago residence of former U.S. President Donald Trump [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The U.S. court has proposed disclosing part of the "sworn affidavit" that served as the basis for the FBI's search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. Amid the unprecedented search of a former president's home, both Trump's side and the U.S. media are demanding the affidavit's disclosure.

On the 18th (local time), according to the Washington Post (WP) and others, Bruce Reinhart, a judge of the Miami Federal Court, held a hearing regarding the disclosure of the sworn affidavit requested by Trump's side and some media outlets, listening to the parties' opinions. After the hearing, Judge Reinhart suggested that the Department of Justice redact sensitive information and disclose the affidavit. He said, "After careful review, there are parts of the affidavit that can be made public."

Judge Reinhart instructed the Department of Justice to submit the affidavit by the 25th, giving them a one-week deadline to have sufficient and fair opportunity to redact sensitive information. He stated that if the DOJ submits an edited affidavit with confidential parts redacted, he will review it and make a final decision on disclosure.

The sworn affidavit contains information about the FBI's reasons for pursuing the search of former President Trump's residence. WP reported that the affidavit will reveal whom the government investigated, what they believed was inside Trump's home before the search, and what criminal allegations they are considering.

The Department of Justice opposed the disclosure during the hearing, arguing that "disclosing the affidavit would reveal the roadmap of the ongoing investigation" and that "since the investigation is still in its early stages, disclosure could jeopardize it." Prosecutor Jay Bratt argued that "the affidavit contains substantial information about the grand jury, so the detailed document must remain completely confidential."

On the other hand, the media representatives advocating for disclosure emphasized that executing a search warrant on a former president's residence is a matter of enormous public interest, calling this case "one of the most important law enforcement events in American history" and demanding disclosure. Christina Bob, the attorney representing former President Trump, attended the hearing but reportedly made no arguments.

Earlier, on the 8th, the FBI searched former President Trump's residence at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and seized 11 classified documents, including top-secret materials. When Trump's side claimed it was a political and targeted investigation aimed at blocking his 2024 presidential bid, the Department of Justice requested the federal court to disclose the search warrant, which the court accepted. While the warrant and the list of seized documents have been made public, the affidavit underlying the warrant issuance has not yet been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Alan Weisselberg, former CFO of the Trump Organization and considered one of Trump's closest aides, pleaded guilty to tax fraud and related charges. At a trial held at the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan on the same day, he admitted to all 15 charges, stating that while working as an executive at Trump's family business, he conspired with the company to commit tax fraud and other crimes over 15 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.