Former President Donald Trump said he does not oppose a federal court in Florida unsealing a search warrant that authorized FBI agents to search his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.
“Not only will I not oppose the release of the documents,” Trump said in a statement late Thursday, “I am going a step further by encouraging the immediate release of those documents.”
Trump’s statement came after the Department of Justice earlier Thursday filed a motion to unseal the search warrant, with Attorney General Merrick Garland saying he “personally approved” of the decision to seek the warrant.
Trump's legal team has until 3 p.m. Friday to formally respond in court to the Justice Department's filing.
In his statement, Trump referred to the FBI’s search as an “un-American, unwarranted and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home,” concluding: “Release the documents now!”
On Monday, agents searched Trump's residence and his safe in what sources familiar with the matter have told USA TODAY is an investigation related to Trump's removal of classified documents from the White House when he left office.
AG Merrick Garland: DOJ files motion to unseal Mar-a-Lago search warrant
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that the Justice Department had filed a motion to unseal the search warrant and property receipt from a search FBI agents carried out Monday at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.
"I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter," he said Thursday, after making the required finding of "probable cause" that a crime had been committed.
On Monday, agents searched Trump's residence and his safe in what sources familiar with the matter have told USA TODAY is an investigation related to Trump's removal of classified documents from the White House when he left office.
Trump has denounced that investigation. The latest action prompted Trump to make accusations of a "witch hunt" in all levels of government, including the bureau itself. However, FBI Director Christopher Wray was appointed by Trump while he was president.
Wray defends FBI against new threats
FBI Director Christopher Wray defended the bureau Thursday against a new wave of threats in the aftermath of the Mar-a-Lago search and an attempted breach of bureau offices in Cincinnati by an armed man.
“Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others,” Wray said in a statement.
“Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans. Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. I am proud to serve alongside them."
The former president and his lawyers have until Friday before they have to decide whether or not to oppose the Justice Department's request to unseal the search warrant and related materials.
A legal filing said: "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 decision to unseal ultimately belongs to Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart, but Trump could complicate things.
"Trump objecting would certainly delay matters, but the Judge has the final decision," said Mark Zaid, an attorney who specializes in national security matters.
Zaid added: "From what I understand, the information that is subject to DOJ's motion is largely what Trump and his lawyers already possess. That means any effort to delay or object to release would raise questions of why Trump is hiding the contents."
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