Attorney General Merrick Garland admitted that he had personally approved the FBI’s request to raid former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
Garland however, defended his actions by saying he “does not take such decisions lightly.”
“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. Federal law, long-standing department rules, and our ethical obligations prevent me from providing further details as to the basis of the search at this time… There are, however, certain points that I want you to know. First, I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter. Second, the department does not take such a decision lightly,” Garland said.
The comes as the Department of Justice moves to unseal the search warrant used to seize documents from Trump’s home.
The decision from the DOJ comes amid “light of the former president's public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial interest in this matter,” according to Garland.
A federal judge gave the Justice Department until 3 p.m. on Friday to certify whether Trump supports or opposes unsealing the warrant and property receipt from the FBI's search of his Florida residence.
“The United States shall immediately serve a copy of its Motion on counsel for former President Trump… 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,” Magestrate Judge Bruce Reinhard wrote in an order to the DOJ.
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