WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has asked a court to keep an affidavit that led to the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last week under seal, warning that its disclosure could cause “significant and irreparable damage” to its ongoing criminal investigation.
Media outlets and conservative organizations have called on the department to allow the affidavit to be released, and several, including the Miami Herald, have filed motions in court stating that its disclosure is in the public interest.
But the affidavit — in which the Justice Department offered a narrative of its investigation to date, and outlined probable cause that crimes were committed — should remain sealed “to protect the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement investigation that implicates national security,” the Justice Department said in its motion on Monday.
