United States: prosecutors oppose the publication of the reasons for the search at Trump’s house

Published on: 08/16/2022 – 02:28 The US Department of Justice objected on Monday to the publication of a court document supposed to give the reasons which prompted federal investigators to carry out an unprecedented search at the former President Donald Trump last week. The Ministry of Justice assured that such a publication “would irreparably harm the ongoing criminal investigation”, according to a court document. The US Department of Justice on Monday, August 15 opposed the publication of a court document supposed to give the reasons which prompted federal investigators to carry out an unprecedented search at the home of former President Donald Trump last week. The operation federal police at his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida – a first for a former president – caused a political storm, Donald Trump and his supporters denouncing a “witch hunt”.Several organizations, including media , had asked a judge to release a court document in which investigators usually explain why the search was necessary. The Ministry of Justice assured Monday that such a publication “would irreparably harm the ongoing criminal investigation”, according to a court document. Compromising the criminal investigation Friday, at the request of prosecutors this time, a judge had made public the warrant authorizing the search and a list of the documents seized. But, unlike the first, the document whose publication this time was requested contains “very sensitive information on witnesses”, techniques used by the police and “extremely important facts about the investigation”, estimated the ministry. Its publication could reveal the strategy of the investigators and “compromise (the success) of the next steps of the investigation”, he added. According to the documents revealed on Friday, justice suspects the Republican of having violated an American law on espionage which very strictly regulates the possession of confidential documents. The list of items seized mentions many documents classified as “top secret”. Donald Trump, tipped to relaunch in the race for the White House for 2024, assured that these documents had been declassified. during the search, the Republican said he was the victim of an “attack against a political opponent like we have never seen in our country”. With AFP