Former US President Donald Trump said he would not object to the release of a search warrant on his Florida property after the US Department of Justice made a rare request to unseal the documents.
In a statement issued Thursday night, the Republican politician said he encouraged the immediate publication of the order. However, he insisted that the search was unnecessary and the move was politically motivated.
The US Department of Justice has asked a Florida court to make public the warrant that allowed FBI agents to search Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
While US media have widely reported that the FBI’s search is related to an investigation into whether Mr. Trump removed classified records and sensitive material from the White House during his tenure, including nuclear weapons-related documents, authorities have not revealed the motives behind the warrant.
However, if the documents are unsealed, the reason for Monday’s search of Mr. Trump’s house could be confirmed.
The business magnate had until Friday afternoon to oppose the release of the papers. However, he said instead: “Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going to step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents.”
Mr. Trump added that he did not oppose the documents’ release even though they were “drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me, much as they have done for the last six years.”
Earlier, Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed that he had personally approved the search warrant on the former president’s Florida property.
Following its common protocols, the Department of Justice has not disclosed information about the active investigation. Additionally, search warrants often remain sealed during similar proceedings.
However, Mr. Garland said he had asked the court to make the documents publicly available in the public interest, adding that the move was influenced by Mr. Trump’s decision to publicly announce that the search had been carried out.
It was the first time in US history that a former president’s home was searched amid an investigation into a criminal case.
