Even as Trump chooses to hide the contents of the Justice Department search warrant that was executed by the FBI and the list of items taken, Merrick Garland has proposed to reveal the documents stolen by the disgraced former president and stashed at his Mar-a-Lago home in Republican-ruled Florida.
The process of unsealing the documents will be overseen by Judge Bruce Reinhard. He has ordered the Justice Dept. to serve the motion’s copy to lawyers representing Trump. The order reveals that the department must inform the judge before 3 pm on Friday if Trump intends to contest the motion.
Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, responded to Merrick Garland’s statement by changing tack of what they want from the Attorney General. He said that they are looking for the basis of the search.
Graham said that it needs to be determined whether the available information warranted for the judge to authorize the raid on Trump’s home with the midterm just 90 days away.
Sen. Graham urged the AG and the FBI to come clean on the reason for this drastic step. He said that the action will be viewed with suspicion till it is done. But that isn’t happening anytime soon as the JD has not required the judge to reveal the affidavit justifying the use of the warrant.
AG Merrick Garland has said that the decision to seek the warrant was his and he was requesting that it be unsealed to satiate substantial public interest. Trump can oppose the motion by 3 pm on Friday.
Merrick Garland Responded After Initially Staying Silent
Merrick Garland’s response came after a period of intense silence as he summoned the news media to the Justice Dept. and gave a public rationale behind the move. But his revelation was limited as Trump’s legal team can decide to block the release of the warrant and related documents that has been sealed by a federal judge.
The fact that the AG has chosen to speak indicates the high stakes involved in this investigation that is under intense scrutiny.
