ABC News reports a source familiar with the investigation says the Justice Department and FBI believe Trump kept classified documents that had national security implications.
Former President Donald Trump called late Thursday for the "immediate" release of the federal warrant the FBI used to search his Florida estate, hours after the Justice Department had asked a court to unseal the warrant, with Attorney General Merrick Garland citing the "substantial public interest in this matter."
Additional sources told ABC News that part of the information investigators were looking for included material labeled "Special Access," which is accessible only by the highest level security clearances only available to a specific, limited number of individuals. "The public's clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favor of unsealing," said a motion filed in federal court in Florida on Thursday.
In this case, according to a person familiar with the matter, there was substantial engagement with Trump and his representatives prior to the search warrant, including a subpoena for records and a visit to Mar-a-Lago a couple of months ago by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the documents were stored. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department has until Friday afternoon to alert the judge about whether Trump will object to the release. "Much of our work is by necessity conducted out of the public eye. We do that to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans and to protect the integrity of our investigations," he said. "Federal law, longstanding department rules and our ethical obligations prevent me from providing further details as to the basis of the search at this time."
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Merrick Garland filed motion to unseal Trump Mar-a-Lago FBI warrant, property receiptABC News reports a source familiar with the investigation says the Justice Department and FBI believe Trump had continued to keep classified documents that had national security implications.
Read more »
Donald Trump calls for 'immediate' release of Mar-a-Lago FBI warrantABC News reports a source familiar with the investigation says the Justice Department and FBI believe Trump kept classified documents that had national security implications.
Read more »
Uvalde paper spotlights ABC News' continuing coverage of local community in wake of massacreUVALDE, Texas — In the wake of a mass shooting that killed 21 in its hometown of Uvalde, Texas, a prominent local paper announced it would be happy for the day when the nation's media spotlight would shine anywhere else.
Read more »
McDonald's discontinued this new item. Good riddance.'This news may be disappointing news to some fans of the burger, but as a mostly-vegetarian, I say good riddance.'
Read more »
Gas prices dip below $4; FBI's Wray denounces threats; lower prices offer slight reprieve from inflation | Hot off the Wire podcastGet the latest news on Hot off the Wire, our daily news podcast.
Read more »
Justice Dept. seeks to unseal search warrant of Trump homeAttorney General Merrick Garland cited the “substantial public interest in this matter” in announcing the request at a Justice Department news conference.
Read more »