Merrick Garland

The attorney general announced Thursday that he's asked a judge to unseal the FBI's search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, which the former president, ...

(In its request, the DOJ also asked for two attachments to the warrant to be unsealed, as well as the property receipt for the items the agents removed.) Then there’s the fact that Trump and his attorneys are now in the position of having to decide if they should fight the document being unsealed, which would make it look like they have something to hide, or just let it happen, which they probably also don’t want to do. (If they did, they would have released it already.) Sadly for the former guy, even if his lawyers decide to argue against the warrant being unsealed, the judge reportedly could decide to do so anyway. One of the funniest aspects of the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s house, insofar as there’s anything funny about a one-man crime wave having served as the president of the United States, is the matter of “the warrant.” In their rush to blindly defend Mr. Mar-a-Lago, many of Trump‘s allies have spent the week demanding that the government make public the legal document the feds obtained in order to search the Palm Beach residence, suggesting that the failure to do so is evidence the government has nothing on the former president and the raid was a craven attempt to politically persecute him.

After Trump allies demanded he reveal the warrant behind the search of Mar-a-Lago, the attorney general moved to do just that. Now, the ball's in Trump's ...

A number of prominent Trump allies and lawmakers had demanded that the department do so. Top DOJ officials said that the “public characterizations” of the FBI search by Trump and his attorneys effectively waived the need for the department’s typical confidentiality. That has created a sense of dog-catches-the-car whiplash for Trump and his team, who now must decide whether to permit the quick release of the search warrant — which may point to specific crimes that are under investigation — and a receipt detailing the items seized by FBI agents during the search. “My attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social website. “That said, the former President should have an opportunity to respond to this Motion and lodge objections, including with regards to any ‘legitimate privacy interests’ or the potential for other ‘injury’ if these materials are made public.” Now, the ball’s in Trump’s court.

Since I became attorney general, I have made clear that the Department of Justice will speak through its court filings and its work. Just now the Justice ...

The men and women of the F.B.I. and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants. All Americans are entitled to the evenhanded application of the law, to due process of the law, and to the presumption of innocence. Third, let me address recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism of the F.B.I. and Justice Department agents and prosecutors. Federal law, longstanding department rules, and our ethical obligations prevent me from providing further details as to the basis of the search at this time. The property receipt is a document that federal law requires law enforcement agents to leave with the property owner. That search was a premises located in Florida belonging to the former president.

Remarks as Delivered. Good afternoon. Since I became Attorney General, I have made clear that the Department of Justice will speak through its court filings ...

Second, the Department does not take such a decision lightly. Much of our work is by necessity conducted out of the public eye. Under my watch, that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing. There are, however, certain points I want you to know. The former President publicly confirmed the search that evening, as is his right. The Department filed the motion to make public the warrant and receipt in light of the former President’s public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances, and the substantial public interest in this matter.

In filing to unseal the search warrant used at Mar-a-Lago — and emphasizing that former president Donald Trump could object — the Justice Department put the ...

Whatever the case, this seems to put the Justice Department on significantly firmer ground than in 2016. And unless this were to progress to a criminal case, it’s not clear we would ever learn what’s in the warrant. On Thursday, Garland effectively pulled Trump into the corner with him. On the other hand, Trump could just let it all come out — something he hasn’t appeared apt to do thus far. That Trump could object is a matter of course. In a court filing, it emphasized that Trump could object.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said he personally approved a decision to search former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence and is asking a judge ...

In his first public statement since federal agents searched former President Donald Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago earlier this week, Attorney General Merrick ...

"Much of it is from critics and pundits on the outside who don't know what we know and don't see what we see. The filing confirms that the search warrant was "signed and approved by the Court on August 5." In the days since, the search warrant and related materials have been the subject of significant interest and attention from news media organizations and other entities," the Justice Department writes. Under my watch, that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing." "The Department filed the motion to make public the warrant and receipt in light of the former president's public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter," Garland said. He noted that the department did not comment on the search on the day that it occurred.

US attorney general cites 'substantial public interest in this matter' in announcing the request.

The fury of the Republican response has prompted fears that FBI agents and officials could be placed in danger. The motion recounts that the search was carried out quietly with little public attention, until “later that same day, former President Trump issued a public statement acknowledging the execution of the warrant. That search was part of an investigation into whether Trump took classified records from the White House.

FBI agents on Monday raided the Mar-a-Lago residence of ex-President Donald Trump, removing boxes of records as part of a criminal probe.

She had said agents left a copy of the search warrant, which indicated they are investigating possible violations of laws related to the Presidential Records Act and the handling of classified material. - She had said agents left a copy of the search warrant, which indicated they are investigating possible violations of laws related to the Presidential Records Act and the handling of classified material. - The Justice Department, which Garland heads, has faced pressure since that raid to provide a public explanation for the search of the Trump home at his Mar-a-Lago club.

“Familiar battle lines, forged during a a four-year presidency shadowed by FBI and congressional investigations, quickly took shape again Monday night. Trump ...

“The search intensifies the months-long probe into how classified documents ended up in boxes of White House records located at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year. “Familiar battle lines, forged during a a four-year presidency shadowed by FBI and congressional investigations, quickly took shape again Monday night. According to the Associated Press: “The FBI searched Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Monday, a move that represents a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the former president.

Newsweek is facing criticism for inaccurately reporting that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was not aware of the FBI's raid of former President ...

‘Did Attorney General Merrick Garland personally sign off on this action?’ Answer: Likely not, as FBI has procedures for clearing this sort of thing, but he’d likely be notified," he said. Trump also was deposed by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), who campaigned on prosecuting Trump and called his presidency "illegitimate," in a civil suit earlier this week. He insists, though, that Garland had no prior knowledge of the date and time of the specific raid, nor was he asked to approve it [emphasis added]." Both conservative allies and even some liberal critics have criticized the FBI's raid as politically motivated. Donald Trump has been the target of various investigations, political and legal, since first declaring his candidacy for president in 2015. That strikes me as kinda remarkable."

Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor and general counsel for the FBI who's probably best known for being one of the senior prosecutors on Robert ...

It’s likely to damage the morale of Russian forces who have until recently felt like they were out of reach of Ukrainian weapons, and will certainly infuriate Putin, who is likely to view it as an escalation. I saw it during the revolution in 2014, and in their response to Russia’s first invasion later that year. This third phase sees Ukraine going on its own offensive — to recapture territory in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that were occupied by Russian forces in the first days and weeks of the invasion. The commission, in a 4-1 vote, said that Google’s program would not amount to an impermissible contribution to the committees, clearing the way for the search giant to implement the program should it so choose. HISTORY LESSONS — The list of attendees at the White House this week — Michael Beschloss, Jon Meacham, Anne Applebaum and more — might sound like an MSNBC viewer’s dream cocktail party. There’s widespread confusion about the state of the fight, and competing information continues to pour in from all directions. — Florida bans Medicaid from covering gender-affirming treatments: Florida’s Medicaid regulator has finalized new rules banning health care providers from billing the taxpayer-funded program for gender-affirming medical treatments, a move that comes as the state has sought to block such therapies for young people. In a much-anticipated decision, the CDC lifted previous recommendations that students quarantine if exposed to someone positive for the virus. Trump, who had the right to do so, publicly announced on Monday night that he is under investigation — no longer making civil liberties a concern. The move comes after three days of wall-to-wall media coverage and a massive outcry from Republicans who have demanded more information about the search and why it was necessary. While we could soon see portions of the search warrant, we will not yet have access to the underlying affidavit. They’re innocent until charged and proven guilty,” Weissmann said, noting that this is why people were outraged by then-FBI Director James Comey’s handling of the Clinton emails investigation.

The former president said he will not object to the Justice Department's move to release the search warrant used to carry out the search of his Florida ...

When Mr. Trump left the White House, he took with him boxes containing a mishmash of papers, along with items like a raincoat and golf balls, according to people briefed on the contents. The officials met with Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Evan Corcoran. Mr. Trump, who likes to play host and has a long history of trying to charm officials inquiring about his practices, also made an appearance. The search warrant was broad, allowing the agents to investigate all areas of the club where classified materials might have been stored. Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, said in an internal email earlier in the day that he would adjust the bureau’s “security posture” as needed. The person said the F.B.I. left behind a two-page manifest of what was taken. The search on Monday of Mr. Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, his private club, was the most explosive development yet in the various inquiries. Many Trump allies and Republicans have also called on Mr. Garland to explain his decision, adding political complexity — or hypocrisy — to any decision by Mr. Trump to oppose making the search warrant public. In a clipped, two-minute statement to reporters at the Justice Department’s headquarters, Mr. Garland said he decided to break his silence and make a public statement because Mr. Trump had disclosed the action himself. It said the department would have to tell the judge by 3 p.m. on Friday whether Mr. Trump opposed the motion. Christina Bobb, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, did not respond to messages. “Under my watch that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing.” “Release the documents now!” he said.

"In these circumstances involving a search of the residence of a former President, the government hereby requests that the Court unseal the Notice of Filing and ...

- "Much of our work is by necessity conducted out of the public eye. Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly, without fear or favor," Garland said. He was not charged with any crimes related to Jan. 6. - "The department does not take such a decision lightly. - "I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked. He claimed he and his representatives had been cooperating fully.

The right's spent the better part of the week trying to paint the attorney general as a despot. Those charges won't stick.

It wasn’t immediately clear what exactly the Department of Justice was looking for at Trump’s resort. None of these traits seemed to be particularly advantageous—until, perhaps, this week, when the unassuming figure signed off on a warrant for federal agents to search Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s post-presidential way station. One of the most compelling things about Merrick Garland is how fundamentally uncompelling he is.

Readers discuss the attorney general's decision to break his silence. Also: A student's plea on abortion rights; jobs and the economy.

We have the power to take back our rights. A great many employers have job openings that they are finding very difficult to fill. Anti-choice Republicans are pushing back and trying to strip women of their rights. About half the states will likely have extreme limits or total bans on abortion. Until recently a constitutional right in the United States, abortion now depends on geography. I, her only daughter, plan to go to college in 2025. He reportedly flushed down the toilet or otherwise destroyed some official papers, presumably containing incriminating information. For now, let’s be patient and let the Justice Department do its job. The investigation will continue and the rule of law will persevere. Like many other Americans, I’m curious to know more about the Justice Department’s investigation of Donald Trump, and I understand why Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced that he personally approved a search warrant and that the department has now requested its unsealing. The list of reasons for it to avoid extensive public comment at this stage is longer than the list of reasons for it to do the opposite. Although Mr. Garland’s language was at times opaque, his style was in keeping with his strong — and refreshingly nonpartisan — perspective that the department should place the rule of law above partisan politics.

If Trump is proven to have mishandled classified documents, he could be guilty of a felony. In 2018, then-President Trump signed a bill upgrading the crime from ...