05/04/2024

Federal judge: DOJ has until 3 p.m. Friday to confim whether Trump supports unsealing raid warrant

A federal judge Thursday gave the Justice Department until 3 p.m. Friday to certify whether former President Donald Trump supports or opposes unsealing the warrant and property receipt from the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago home Monday.

“The United States shall immediately serve a copy of its Motion on counsel for former President Trump,” Magestrate Judge Bruce Reinhard wrote in an order on the DOJ’s motion to unseal the warrant and property receipt. “On or before 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on August 12, 2022, the United States shall file a certificate of conferral advising whether former President Trump opposes the Government’s motion to unseal.”

The order came shortly after Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the raid on Trump’s home foor the first time since it happened. Garland said he personally signed off on the search warrant for the raid, and that the Justice Department aims to make more information about it public.

“Just now, 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,” Garland said. “That search was a premises located in Florida belonging to the former president.”

Garland added: “The 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.”

Fox News’ Kelly Laco contributed to this report.