Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

DOJ asks court to unseal Mar-a-Lago raid warrant; AG Merrick Garland personally signed off on Trump search

In a rare public statement, days after the FBI's early morning raid on Trump's private residence in Palm Beach, Florida Attorney General Merrick Garland said he "personally approved" the decision to seek a search warrant for former President Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago, saying the Justice Department has filed a motion to unseal the search warrant and property receipt from the FBI's raid, amid "substantial public interest" in the matter, while defending the "integrity" of law enforcement officials.
The raid was related to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) effort to collect records and materials the former president took with him from Washington, D.C., to Mar-a-Lago--a matter the agency referred to the Justice Department.

"Since I became attorney general, I have made clear that the Department of Justice will speak through its court filings and its work just now," Garland said. "The Justice Department has filed a motion in the southern district of Florida to unseal a search warrant and property receipt relating to a court approved search that the FBI conducted earlier this week. That search was a premises located in Florida belonging to the former president."

Garland noted that the Justice Department did not make any public statements on the day of the search, but that Trump "publicly confirmed the search that evening, as is his right."

Garland said copies of both the warrant and the FBI property receipt "were provided on the day of the search to the former president's counsel, who was on site during the search."

"The search warrant was authorized by a federal court upon the required finding of probable cause," Garland said, adding that "the property receipt is a document that federal law requires law enforcement agents to leave with the property owner."

Garland said the Justice Department filed the motion to make public the warrant and receipt "in light of the former president's public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter."

"Faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of Justice Department and of our democracy," Garland said. "Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly without fear or favor under my watch. That is precisely what the Justice Department is doing."

"All Americans are entitled to the even-handed application of the law to due process of the law and to the presumption of innocence," Garland stressed.

Garland said that much of the department's work "is, by necessity, conducted out of the public eye."

"We do that to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and to protect the integrity of our investigations," Garland explained. "Federal law, longstanding department rules and our ethical obligations prevent me from providing further details as to the basis of the search."

"At this time, there are, however, certain points I want you to know," Garland said.

"First, I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter," Garland said.

"Second, the department does not take such a decision lightly," Garland said. "Where possible, it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means as an alternative to a search and to narrowly scope any search that is undertaken."

Garland then addressed "recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism of the FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors."

"I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked," he said. "The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants. Every day they protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism and other threats to their safety while safeguarding our civil rights. They do so at great personal sacrifice and risk to themselves."

"I am honored to work alongside them," Garland said. "This is all I can say right now. More information will be made available in the appropriate way and at the appropriate time."

The Justice Department filed the motion to unseal the warrant and receipt list in the Southern District of Florida.

"In these circumstances involving a search of the residence of a former President, the government hereby requests that the Court unseal the Notice of Filing and its attachment..absent objection by former President Trump," the DOJ motion states.

The notice, according to the motion, includes the search warrant signed and approved by the court on Aug. 5 and a redacted property receipt, listing the items "seized pursuant to the search."

"The press and the public enjoy a qualified right of access to criminal and judicial proceedings and the judicial records filed therein," the motion states, noting that the unsealing of the documents would not "impair court functions."

"The public’s clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favor of unsealing," the motion states, noting that Trump should have an opportunity to respond to the motion and "lodge objections, including with regard to any ‘legitimate privacy interests’ or the potential for other ‘injury’ if these materials are made public."

Trump, shortly after Garland's remarks, posted on his TRUTH Social account that his "attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established."

"The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it," Trump wrote. "They asked us to put an additional lock on a certain area - DONE!"

"Everything was fine, better than that of most previous Presidents, and then, out of nowhere and with no warning, Mar-a-Lago was raided, at 6:30 in the morning, by VERY large numbers of agents, and even 'safecrackers,'" Trump continued. "They got way ahead of themselves."

He added: "Crazy!"
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
×