DOJ moves to unseal Mar-a-Lago search warrant, AG Garland about the search: he “does not take such decisions lightly.”
Justice Department moves to unseal search warrant used to seize documents from Trump’s home
Trump’s lawyer confirms she and another were present during the Mar-a-Lago search
Court has given Trump until tomorrow to respond to DOJ’s unsealing request
+ Washington Post: FBI searched Trump’s home to look for nuclear documents and other items, sources say
From CBS News:
Click here for AG Garland’s news conference [start at 12:09]
The Justice Department moved to unseal the search warrant used by federal agents to seize documents from former President Donald Trump’s home in Florida as Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed he “personally approved” the extraordinary step to seek the warrant.
In brief remarks from the Justice Department as the government filed its request, Garland defended the move to search Mar-a-Lago, and said he “does not take such decisions lightly.”
He noted, however, that he was bound by federal law, department rules and ethical obligations from providing more information about the basis of the search.
“Faithful adherence to the role of law is the bedrock principle of the Justice Department and our democracy. Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly without fear or favor,” he said. “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.”
The decision by the Justice Department to move to make public the warrant was made “in light of the former president’s public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial interest in this matter,” Garland said.
He noted that the warrant was authorized by a federal court in South Florida “upon the required finding of probable cause,” and copies of the warrant and a property receipt from the FBI — required by law to be left with the property owner — were provided to Trump’s attorneys on the day of the search.
One of Trump’s lawyers, Lindsey Halligan, confirmed to CBS News that she and a second attorney, Christina Bobb, a former television host for the far-right One America News network, were at Mar-a-Lago while the search was conducted.
+ Rolling Stone: With Feds Circling, Trump Asks Allies: Who’s ‘Wearing a Wire’? As the investigations heat up, the former president and his advisers are pointing fingers — and looking for “rats” [Editor’s note: This indicates the walls are closing in.]
+ CNBC: Trump took Fifth Amendment more than 440 times in refusing to answer New York attorney general’s questions – a jury in a civil case is allowed to draw “a negative inference” when a party to the case “invokes that right against self-incrimination.” In other words, James could argue to a jury that it should assume Trump has conceded her claims against him by refusing to answer her questions.
+ Paul Waldman Opinion: Why Trump has to sell a fantasy of collective persecution
