Judge says part of Trump search affidavit could “presumptively be unsealed”

The federal magistrate judge who authorized the FBI search warrant of former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence said he could release portions of the underlying affidavit to the public, pending proposed redactions by federal prosecutors.

Judge Bruce Reinhart said he was “not prepared to find the affidavit should be fully sealed,” during a court hearing involving members of the media and the Justice Department. 

“There are portions of it that could, at least, presumptively be unsealed,” Reinhart said.

The judge gave prosecutors one week to file their proposed redactions to the affidavit – which likely contains a more detailed accounting of the reasons behind last week’s Mar-a-Lago search — and said he will make a decision after that.  

Reinhart said once the proposed redactions have been submitted and he’s reviewed them, “I will issue a judgment accordingly,” he told the court. He added that he may have revisions to propose to the government, too. “I may agree with the government, and we may be done. I may not agree.”  

He also told the court that in deciding to sign the warrant to search Mar-a-Lago, “All the information that the court relied upon is in the affidavit.” 

Justice Department attorneys stated in a court filing that the investigation into Trump’s handling of “highly classified material” is ongoing and that the document contains sensitive information about witnesses.