Justice Department releases redacted Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit

Originally Published: 26 AUG 22 12:27 ET

Updated: 26 AUG 22 12:32 ET

By Marshall Cohen and Tierney Sneed, CNN

    (CNN) -- The Justice Department on Friday released a redacted version of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit.

Federal investigators used the affidavit to convince a judge that there was probable cause that crimes had been committed, paving the way for the judge to authorize the search of former President Donald Trump's home and resort in Florida.

The Justice Department also released a redacted legal brief explaining why it proposed the redactions to the affidavit, including possible threats to witnesses.

The DOJ argued that, without the proposed redactions, "the affidavit could be used to identify many, if not all, of these witnesses."

What follows is two paragraphs of redacted material.

"If witnesses' identities are exposed, they could be subjected to harms including retaliation, intimidation, or harassment, and even threats to their physical safety," the filing said. "As the Court has already noted, 'these concerns are not hypothetical in this case.'"

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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