Budapest Post

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

FBI cites 'evidence of obstruction' in Trump Florida home search

FBI cites 'evidence of obstruction' in Trump Florida home search

The FBI told a judge they expected to find "evidence of obstruction" of justice in a search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home, according to newly released court papers.
Investigators said top secret files had been stored at Mar-a-Lago along with assorted newspapers and magazines.

The Justice Department said it censored the affidavit to protect "a significant number of civilian witnesses".

Trump said the inquiry was being led by "political Hacks and Thugs".

On Friday, the US Department of Justice released a version of the affidavit used to justify the FBI's incursion into Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8, but it has been heavily redacted.

Given that the court papers were filed before the search of the Palm Beach estate, they contain no new details on the 11 sets of classified documents that the justice department has said were recovered from the exclusive golf club.

The FBI agent who drafted the affidavit wrote they had "probable cause" to believe that "evidence, contraband, fruits of crimes or other items illegally possessed" would be discovered.

"There is also probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises," the agent added.

The document shows that the unprecedented criminal investigation into a former president began after the National Archives, which maintains historic White House records, identified "a lot" of classified files among 15 boxes that it had recovered from Mar-a-Lago in January this year.

An FBI review of those materials uncovered 184 classified documents, including 25 marked as "Top Secret".

The cache included information from highly sensitive US intelligence human sources. Some items were also marked "Noforn" — meaning they must not be released to foreign nationals.

The files — some of which appeared to show Trump's handwritten notes — were interspersed with newspapers, magazines and other documents, according to the affidavit.

"Of most significant concern was that highly classified records were unfoldered, intermixed with other records and otherwise unproperly identified," the document said.

The discovery led investigators to believe that Trump may have been in violation of three separate federal laws, including the Espionage Act that governs classified information.

Of the 38 pages in the unsealed affidavit, 21 are mostly or entirely blacked out. There are several pages in which not a single word is visible.

A separate document explaining the proposed redactions noted that some parts of the affidavit must remain under seal to "protect the safety and privacy of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation".

Revealing the identities of witnesses, the document added, could potentially lead to them being subjected to harms including "retaliation, intimidation, or harassment and even threats to their physical safety".

Trump — who may launch another White House campaign for 2024 — reacted angrily on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He said that Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the search, should never have allowed the "break-in of my home". Trump also accused the judge of "animosity" towards him.

He has maintained that he had already ordered all the documents to be declassified.

The Justice Department's investigation is now expected to continue behind closed doors as it continues to review the documents and — potentially — call in more witnesses.

The public may not hear from prosecutors about the investigation until a decision has been made on whether it will result in any criminal charges.
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
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
×