Judge Bruce Reinhart on Monday released an order rejecting the Department of Justice’s argument that the affidavit used to justify a raid of former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence should remain entirely sealed, moving the document one step closer to potentially being released.
The federal government now has until Thursday to propose redactions and make any other arguments as to why the document should not be made public.
“It is a foundational principle of American law that judicial proceedings should be open to the public,” said Reinhart, who also authorized the original search of the Mar-A-Lago property that was met with controversy and backlash.
The federal government argued that unsealing the affidavit would threaten its investigation into Trump. Reinhardt did acknowledge the legitimacy of that claim.
