Trump Official Says DOJ Tried to 'Hide' Affidavit

Taylor Budowich, a spokesperson for former President Donald Trump, reiterated calls on Thursday to release the affidavit that supported the FBI's request to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. Budowich's comments followed a Thursday afternoon hearing in Florida about the document's potential release.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Budowich alleged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was trying to "hide" the affidavit by objecting to arguments media organizations posed for unsealing it.

Budowich said Trump has been "clear" on his position that Americans "should be permitted to see the unredacted affidavit related to the raid and break-in of his home."

"Today, magistrate Judge Reinhard [sic] rejected the DOJ's cynical attempt to hide the whole affidavit from Americans," he wrote.

Budowich then said there should be no reason to redact any part of the affidavit and suggested Democrats have a "penchant for using redactions" for political purposes.

"However, no redactions should be necessary and the whole affidavit should be released, given the Democrats' penchant for using redactions to hide government corruption, just like they did with the Russia hoax," he said.

The DOJ argued during the hearing that unsealing the affidavit could compromise their investigation into classified documents allegedly kept at Trump's home. A DOJ official described the investigation as being in its "early stages."

Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart did not order the release of the affidavit, but he indicated he would consider releasing a redacted version of the document. He instructed the DOJ to submit suggested redactions by August 25.

Breadth of Investigation Unknown to Attorneys

One of the attorneys representing the media in the battle to unseal the affidavit said former President Donald Trump may be one of the arrestees in the Justice Department's ongoing investigation.

After the initial hearing Thursday, Deanna Shullman, the attorney for ABC and the Wall Street Journal, told reporters that there are still a lot unknown about the investigations.

"We don't exactly know who the potential indictees or arrestees are," she said. "We shouldn't assume that its President Trump, it may be others. It may include him, but it may also be others."

Even if an arrest comes down, she continued, "it doesn't necessarily mean that the investigation is concluded at that time."

Shullman said she does not know the "breadth" of the investigation.

NY AG Says Weisselberg Funded 'Lavish Lifestyle'

New York Attorney General Letitia James said Allen Weisselberg broke the law for "years" in order to "fund a lavish lifestyle."

James' comments on the former Trump Organization CFO came hours after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges. Weisselberg was accused of neglecting to pay taxes on about $1.7 million.

In a statement released by her office, James said there exists "zero tolerance" for people that "defraud our state and cheat our communities."

"For years, Mr. Weisselberg broke the law to line his own pockets and fund a lavish lifestyle. Today, that misconduct ends," she said.

James said Weisselberg's plea should serve as a "loud and clear message" to others that "we will crack down on anyone who steals from the public for personal gain because no one is above the law."

As a result of his guilty plea, Weisselberg will be required to pay nearly $2 million to tax authorities and spend five months behind bars at Riker's Island. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Weisselberg also now must testify in an upcoming case involving the Trump Organization that is expected to begin in late October.

Attorney Says Judge 'Gave Clues' About Unsealing Affidavit

An attorney representing one of media outlets in their push for a judge to unseal the FBI affidavit told reporters that she "feels good" about the hearing.

Deanna Shullman, the attorney for ABC and the Wall Street Journal said the government told the court that the affidavit "includes a roadmap for the investigation."

"It explains the scope and breadth of the investigation and it has a number of confidential informants and witnesses whose ongoing participation may be jeopardize by its disclosure," she said.

Shullman said the burden is on the government to show that information in the affidavit must remain sealed.

She said the government must prove the the judge that releasing certain information from the affidavit will severely impede the investigation, expose the identity of confidential witnesses or informants or otherwise hinder the investigation and jeopardize its safety.

"I feel good about the hearing," Shullman said in a press conference outside of the courtroom.

She said Judge Bruce Reinhart is the "gatekeeper" in this case and must balance the interest of the public in accessing the materials with the government's interest in keeping them secret.

Shullman said Reinhart "gave clues" that at least some of the affidavit will be unsealed.

"At this juncture, [Judge Reinhart] is not inclined to keep the entirety of the search warrant application and it's affidavit under seal," she said.

She said she thinks Reinhart will "make a swift decision" once the Justice Department files their redacted affidavit.

Shullman added that the public will likely be entitled to some parts of the document and be able to discern meaning from even a partially redacted document.

"It is not the government's job to tell the public what is meaningful in terms of the release of its own information," she told reporters.

The Justice Department has argued against the release of the affidavit in order to protect the identities of these witnesses and informants.

Shullman said she thinks Judge Reinhart will protect their identities.

"None of the media interveners want to jeopardize the safety or security of a confidential informant," she said.

Judge Gives DOJ One Week to File Redacted Affidavit

A federal judge in Florida has not yet decided whether he will unseal parts of the affidavit that gave probable cause for the FBI to execute a search warrant on former President Donald Trump's home.

During a hearing Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart said he will unseal certain of the procedural filings.

Those documents include the sealing order, the motion to seal and the criminal cover sheet. All of these documents will be heavily redacted.

But he has not made a final decision yet on unsealing the affidavit. Reinhart said he is leaning towards unsealing at least some parts of the document, against the wishes of the Justice Department.

"I'm not prepared to find the affidavit should be fully sealed," Reinhart said, according to reporters in the courtroom. "I believe based on my initial careful review of the affidavit many times that there are portions that could preemptively be unsealed."

He said it is not for him to decide "whether those portions would be meaningful for the public or the media."

Reinhart gave the government one week to present a redacted version of the affidavit. The document must be filed by Thursday, August 25 at noon and the DOJ will then explain the proposed redactions to the judge.

Reinhart will then review the document and if he believes the government "met it's burden," then he will "go from there."

"This is going to be a considered, careful process," he said.

The Justice Department has previously said in its court filing that a redacted version of the affidavit will not be meaningful because there is so much sensitive information in the document. This include witness identify, agent names and other details that if made public, could compromise the investigation.

DOJ Investigation in 'Early Stages'

An official with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday that the department's investigation into classified documents allegedly housed at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence is in the "early stages," according to reporters with Politico.

Jay Bratt represented the DOJ during a Thursday hearing in Florida about the potential release of an affidavit, which was used in the FBI's search warrant application for Trump's home.

While media organizations are arguing in favor of unsealing the affidavit, the DOJ has moved to block its public release.

Bratt reportedly described the DOJ's investigation to federal magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart as "open" and suggested the department's investigation could be compromised if sensitive details involving witnesses contained in the affidavit are made public.

Bratt told Reinhart that unsealing the affidavit in this case is "not a precedent that we want to set," according to Politico reporters present for the hearing.

Over 4 in 10 Polled Voters Say Raid Hurt FBI Trust

The FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home last week resulted in 44 percent of likely voters saying they trusted the bureau "less," according to a poll conducted by the conservative polling company Rasmussen Reports.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents told pollsters the FBI's search "made them trust the bureau more," while 23 percent of respondents said it hadn't impacted their views on the investigative agency.

Overall, 50 percent of likely voters told pollsters they view the FBI "favorably," compared with 46 percent who hold an unfavorable opinion of the bureau.

Positive views of the FBI have increased among Democrats, with 75 percent reporting favorable views of the FBI compared with 63 percent in December 2021. Favorable views of the FBI have meanwhile dropped by 8 percent among Republicans in that same time period, with approval ratings now at 30 percent.

About half of Democrats said the FBI's Mar-a-Lago search "made them trust the FBI more," while the search made 70 percent of GOP voters "trust the FBI less."

The poll was conducted among 1,000 likely voters on August 15 and 16, according to Rasmussen Reports.

Trump Attorney Arrives at Courthouse

An attorney representing former President Donald Trump arrived at the courthouse in West Palm Beach shortly before the affidavit hearing was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET.

Christina Bobb, a lawyer for Trump who was present at the time FBI agents searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago home last week, arrived at the courthouse in the early afternoon, local reporters said on Twitter. Bobb told reporters with Politico that she was attending the hearing as an observer. CBS News reporters Scott MacFarlane and Nicole Sganga reported that Bobb took a seat in the courtroom's first row.

Trump's legal team was not expected to participate in the hearing, according to the Associated Press. Attorneys representing major media outlets are expected to argue in favor of releasing the affidavit that supported the FBI's request for a search warrant, and the U.S. Department of Justice will argue in favor of keeping the document sealed.

There was a police presence outside the courthouse, with The Palm Beach Post reporter Stephany Matat posting on Twitter that West Palm Beach police erected a tent on a building roof to oversee the activity below as media and members of the public gathered outside.

Some Trump supporters were filmed driving past the courthouse while waving an American flag and a "Trump 2024" flag.

Weisselberg Must Pay Nearly $2 Million to Tax Authorities

Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg will have to repay state and city tax authorities nearly $2 million as part of his guilty plea in a tax fraud case.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Weisselberg's guilty plea for his involvement in a 15-year "scheme" to defraud federal, state and city tax authorities.

"Today, Allen Weisselberg admitted in Court that he used his position at the Trump Organization to bilk taxpayers and enrich himself," Bragg said in a statement.

"Instead of paying his fair share like everyone else, Weisselberg had the Trump Organization provide him with a rent-free apartment, expensive cars, private school tuition for his grandchildren and new furniture – all without paying required taxes," he added.

Bragg said this plea deal "directly implicates the Trump Organization in a wide range of criminal activity."

Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in jail and five years probation. He will also be required to testify on the facts of his plea agreement during the upcoming criminal trial of the Trump Organization. He must also repay $1,994,321 in taxes, penalties and interest due to the New York City and New York State tax authorities.

In court, Weisselberg admitted that he and the Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Cop engaged in a defraud scheme.

Weisselberg said substantial portions of his income, and the income of other Trump Organization employees, was intentionally unreported or misreported by the Trump Organization to the taxing authorities, in order to pay less in taxes.

He also admitted that the Trump Organization failed to withhold income taxes on wages, salaries, bonuses and other forms of compensation paid to Weisselberg and other company employees. This allowed the Trump Organization to evade paying payroll taxes required in connection with employee compensation.

"Through this concerted effort, Weisselberg received his compensation in ways that enabled the corporate defendants to avoid reporting it to tax authorities," Bragg said.

Weisselberg avoided paying taxes on a total of $1.76 million in unreported income that the organization paid him in the form of benefits, including rent and utilities on a Manhattan apartment, luxury cars, private school tuition for his grandchildren and unreported furnishings for his apartment and home in Florida.

Weisselberg has been convicted of 15 felony counts, including:

• One count Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony
• Three counts Criminal Tax Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony
• One count Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree; a class E felony
• One count Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony
• One count Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony
• Four counts Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony
• Four counts Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony

Weisselberg 'Glad to Have This Behind Him'

An attorney representing Allen Weisselberg released a statement on Thursday following the former Trump Organization CFO's guilty plea, saying Weisselberg is "glad to have this behind him."

The statement from attorney Nicholas Gravante Jr. said the decision to plead guilty was a difficult one for Weisselberg to make, but noted Weisselberg could have been sentenced to 15 years behind bars if he had not agreed to a plea deal.

"In one of the most difficult decisions of his life, Mr. Weisselberg decided to enter a plea of guilty today to put an end to this case and the years-long legal and personal nightmares it has caused for him and his family," the statement said.

"Rather than risk the possibility of 15 years in prison, he has agreed to serve 100 days. We are glad to have this behind him."

Weisselberg pleaded guilty on Thursday to 15 charges in a tax evasion case. He will serve his sentence at Riker's Island but could be released early for good behavior, according to the Associated Press.

The AP reported that Weisselberg's plea deal also opens the door to his potential testimony in a case involving the Trump Organization that is scheduled to begin jury selection in late October.

Aides Are Reportedly Pushing Trump to Release Security Footage

People close to former President Donald Trump are urging him to release surveillance footage of the FBI search at his Mar-a-Lago home.

According to a report from CNN, Trump aides are not sure if the former president has seen the full footage himself. All sources spoke on the condition of anonymity in order the speak candidly with reporters.

"I don't think it's been shared by anyone outside of the attorneys," a source told CNN.

Some people close to Trump have encouraged him to make at least some of the tapes public.

One person familiar with the conversations told CNN that there have been discussions about featuring the footage in campaign-style ads to bolster Trump's claims that he is being targeted in a politically-motivated attack.

Another person told CNN that the footage could be released before Trump makes his 2024 presidential campaign announcement.

Releasing the footage of FBI agents in Trump's home could rally his base, one person said. Trump and his allies have claimed the Justice Department is biased against the former president and Republicans and some alleged agents may have even planted evidence during the search.

But others in Trump's circle warned that releasing the tapes could be risky, as the footage would show the large volume of materials federal agents took from his home.

"It's one thing to read a bunch of numbers on an inventory list, it's another to see law enforcement agents actually carrying a dozen-plus boxes out of President Trump's home knowing they probably contain sensitive documents," the source told CNN. "I don't see how that helps him."

What's Expected in Today's FBI Affidavit Hearing

A federal magistrate judge will hear arguments today surrounding the potential release of the affidavit used to secure a search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET. It is unknown how quickly a decision will be made. Bruce Reinhart, the Florida judge who approved the search warrant, will preside over the hearing.

Attorneys for Trump are not expected to participate in the hearing, according to the Associated Press, though Trump has called for the affidavit to be released. In a Truth Social post earlier this week, the former president said there was "no way to justify" the FBI's August 8 search at Mar-a-Lago. Trump said "in the interest of TRANSPARENCY" that the document should be unsealed.

Trump's legal team argued in support of releasing the FBI's search warrant and property receipt last week, both of which were unsealed on August 12. Media organizations are now expected to argue that unsealing the affidavit will help Americans understand whether the FBI had probable cause in seeking a search warrant for Trump's home. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is arguing in favor of keeping the document sealed.

But the DOJ has said unsealing the affidavit would "likely chill future cooperation by witnesses." Legal experts told Newsweek the DOJ may be concerned about the identities of confidential witnesses being revealed if the affidavit is made public, a result that could compromise federal officials' ongoing investigation.

Media Outlets Press Court to Release FBI Affidavit

A federal judge in Florida will hold a hearing this afternoon to hear arguments over unsealing the affidavit that lead to the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

Attorneys representing several news outlets are asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart to release the document over the Justice Department's motion to keep it sealed.

The media argues that the release will help the public determine whether the DOJ had probable cause to enter Trump's home.

"Before the events of this week, not since the Nixon Administration had the federal government wielded its power to seize records from a former President in such a public fashion," the outlets said in the court filing.

The media said the "tremendous public interest in these records in particular outweighs any purported interest in keeping them secret."

"Public access to these records will promote public understanding of this historically significant, unprecedented execution of a search warrant in the residence of a former President," the filing said.

This comes amid calls for transparency from Trump and Republican lawmakers.

Trump has challenged the validity of the search, calling the FBI raid an "assault that could only take place in third world countries" and claiming gents "broke into my safe"

The DOJ said the affidavit contains sensitive, highly-classified materials and releasing a unredacted version of the document would "cause significant and irreparable damage to this ongoing criminal investigation."

"If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government's ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps," U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez and top DOJ national security official Jay Bratt wrote in a court filing.

They said the document also contains information about witnesses and its disclosure may jeopardize witness cooperation in this and future "high-profile investigations."

"The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and exacerbates the potential harm if information is disclosed to the public prematurely or improperly," the DOJ motion said.

Trump Blasts Report Claiming He is 'Struggling' to Find Lawyers

Former President Donald Trump fired back at claims that he is "scrambling" to assemble a legal team after the FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago home.

The Washington Post ran a story Tuesday entitled, "Trump is rushing to hire seasoned lawyers — but he keeps hearing 'No.'"

The article claims Trump is struggling to find legal advice amid the Justice Department investigation into his handling of classified documents because, as one anonymous "prominent Republican lawyer" said, "everyone is saying no."

"Longtime confidants and advisers of Trump have grown extremely worried about Trump's current stable of lawyers, noting that most of them have little to no experience in cases of this type, according to two people familiar with the internal discussions," the article states.

The article also outlines Trump's current legal team, led by former federal prosecutors Evan Corcoran and James Trusty.

Trump took to Truth Social to dispute the claims made in the article.

"The WAPO story that 'Trump is scrambling to add seasoned lawyers' to the Mar-a-Lago Raid case is, as usual, FAKE NEWS," he wrote.

He said he already has "excellent and experienced" lawyers that he is "very happy with."

"This is highly political prosecutorial misconduct, I have not been charged with anything and, most importantly, I did nothing wrong," he said.

Trump Organization CFO to Plead Guilty in Tax Fraud Case

Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg will plead guilty to a tax fraud scheme, his lawyers told a New York court Thursday.

He was charged with taking more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensations from the organization over several years, according to the Associated Press.

As part of his plea deal, Weisselberg will be sentenced to five months in jail at New York City's Rikers Island prison and five years probation, according to his attorney, Nicholas Gravante Jr.

Weisselberg must admit to each of the 15 counts in the indictment and speak about the company's alleged compensation arrangement in court.

He may also serve as a witness in the Trump Organization's upcoming criminal trial.

Weisselberg, one of Trump's long-time employees, is the only person facing criminal charges in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into the Trump Organization.

Neither Trump nor the organization are involved in Weisselberg's expected plea deal. Prosecutors allege the company gave untaxed fringe benefits to senior executives, including Weisselberg, for over a decade. The Trump Organization faces trial for this alleged scheme in October.