We’ve seen the blacked out affidavit — now let’s go to the videotape.
The Department of Justice was lastly compelled to disclose its closely redacted affidavit justifying the FBI raid of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, and there have been no bombshells as a result of most of it was conveniently blacked out.
The identify of the FBI agent who signed the affidavit was even redacted.
But there’s one key piece of proof nonetheless lacking — the safety footage of a swarm of FBI brokers executing their search warrant. And Trump says he has it.
The Trump group is reportedly contemplating releasing the raid video to bolster their case that the raid was heavy-handed authorities thuggery — even presumably utilizing it in campaign-style TV adverts main as much as the midterm elections.
“You still have the surveillance tape, is that correct?” Fox News host Sean Hannity requested Eric Trump in an interview. “Will you, are you allowed to share that with the country?”
“Absolutely,” Eric Trump mentioned. “At the right time.”
One of the previous president’s attorneys has mentioned that the Trump household watched the raid unfold because it occurred by means of the safety cameras.
But there are additionally stories that the surveillance video is being carefully held by Trump’s attorneys.
Whoever has it, the video might be a strong affirmation that the FBI went too far in invading the privateness of the Trump household. Or it may merely present brokers doing their due diligence in an expert method.
If the video reveals brokers amassing packing containers of categorised materials, that might be much more damaging to Trump.
But brokers going by means of Melania’s closet and garments drawers? That may provoke much more outrage amongst Trump supporters who really feel he’s being unfairly focused by the Biden administration.
The redacting of greater than half of the 38-page affidavit used to acquire the search warrant additionally doesn’t precisely instill confidence in American residents who distrust authorities.
It fuels the sensation amongst many Trump supporters that the FBI is hiding one thing.
Many of the blacked-out components of the affidavit presumably include the names of witnesses and potential snippets of grand jury testimony that may compromise the DOJ’s investigation of Trump for illegally taking categorised paperwork out of the White House.
The components of the affidavit that weren’t blacked out present the federal government “is conducting a criminal investigation concerning the improper removal and storage of classified information in unauthorized spaces, as well as the unlawful concealment or removal of government records.”
What’s not talked about within the affidavit?
Rather a lot. Like what occurred to references to a Washington Post story speculating Trump could have stolen nuclear secrets and techniques from the White House?
Was the story bogus, as Trump has claimed?
These are the sorts of questions Trump backers are asking at this time.
And we nonetheless don’t have solutions. Not from blacked-out phrases.
But a video would possibly inform us a compelling story.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”