DOJ Wants Mar-a-Lago Raid Affidavit Sealed, Citing Possible Threats to National Security

The United States Department of Justice wants the Mar-a-Lago raid search affidavit and search warrant resealed after it was made public last week, citing possible threats to national security and investigation cooperation as the reason.

Last Friday, media organizations sought for the warrant and affidavit to be made public, noting that it would be an attempt to shed light on the government's "unprecedented actions."

Based on the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, former President Donald Trump is accused of possibly violating a statute on the Espionage Act among many others, which, should he be proven guilty, could see him behind bars for 10 years.

DOJ Wants Mar-a-Lago Raid Seach Warrant, Affidavit to Be Resealed

The United States justice department is asking a judge earlier today to reseal the Mar-a-Lago raid search warrant and affidavit that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) used to search Trump's Florida mansion last August 8, The Guardian reports.

Based on the affidavit made public last week, the former president is being accused of unlawfully retaining top-secret and classified government records and documents, which insiders say to be about nuclear weaponry.

"The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and exacerbates the potential harm if information is disclosed to the public prematurely or improperly," the DOJ said in a statement.

Per the department, disclosing such government documents at this point in time might impede cooperation from possible witnesses that may be sought out during the entire investigation process.

CNN, Washington Post, among many other news organizations called for the document to be unsealed to the public for them to shed light on the current actions of the federal government. However, it was not only them who wanted the document to be released.

Public clamor, including Trump allies and supporters, are urging the DOJ to reveal the document for them to really know if there is probable cause for the FBI to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

What Does the Mar-a-Lago Documents Contain?

As of this writing, there is no confirmed explanation and detail as to what the recovered documents are about. But according to the affidavit, the FBI has seized 11 sets of documents marked as top-secret.

Legal analysts have underscored over the weekend that Trump is facing serious charges should he be proven of actually retaining the said classified information.

On the search warrant that US Magistrate Bruce Reinhart signed, among the federal statutes referenced was the violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 793, which is a portion of the Espionage Act.

CNBC says violating the 18 U.S.C. §§ 793, which penalizes gathering, transmitting, or losing national security documents, carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Since the accusations, Trump has claimed that he had a "standing order" to declassify the top-secret documents which were recovered from his Florida mansion.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ivan Korrs

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