Trump denies mention of 'Nuclear' in Affidavit for FBI Mar-a-Lago Raid, criticizes judge
Aug 27, 2022
Washington [US], August 27 : On a recently released and redacted version of an affidavit used to back a raid on Former US President, Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said that the document makes no mention of nuclear information as he criticized the judge handling the case.
"Affidavit heavily redacted!!! Nothing mentioned on 'Nuclear,' a total public relations subterfuge by the FBI & DOJ, or our close working relationship regarding document turnover - WE GAVE THEM MUCH [sic]," Trump said in a statement via social media.
Earlier on Friday, the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida released a redacted version of the affidavit used to justify a search warrant on Trump's residence. An FBI investigation, prompted by a referral from the National Archives and Records Administration, determined that there was probable cause to believe that sensitive records may be improperly kept at Mar-a-Lago, according to the affidavit, according to The Hill.
Trump further criticized the judge handling the case, saying he should not have approved the search warrant.
Recently, the US government has recovered over 300 documents marked as classified from former President Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, including material from the CIA, the National Security Agency and the FBI.
Earlier, the FBI seized 11 sets of classified records during the raid at Trump's residence.
Apparently, Trump filed a motion in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Monday seeking an order that appoints a special master and requires federal authorities to provide a more detailed receipt of seized property.
The motion also requested an order requiring the return of any item seized that was not within the scope of the government's search warrant and as per the court filings, the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago are "presumptively privileged" as presidential materials and must be evaluated by a neutral Special Master reviewer, according to The Hill.
Reinhart recently sided with the government in allowing redactions in the released version of the affidavit, with much of the 38-page document blacked out over concerns about future witness participation and the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Notably, the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month using a search warrant that listed potential violations of the Espionage Act involving mishandling of classified materials as a reason for the raid. A federal judge is currently determining whether to release parts of an affidavit that backed the search warrant.
The judge authorized the FBI to search what the bureau called the "45 Office" as well as "all other rooms or areas" at Mar-a-Lago that were available to former President Trump and his staff for storing boxes and documents. The search warrant identified three possible federal crimes as the reasoning behind the search: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home which is a mansion with approximately 58 bedrooms, and 33 bathrooms, on a 17-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida on August 8.
