Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

FBI cites 'evidence of obstruction' in Trump Florida home search

FBI cites 'evidence of obstruction' in Trump Florida home search

The FBI told a judge they expected to find "evidence of obstruction" of justice in a search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home, according to newly released court papers.
Investigators said top secret files had been stored at Mar-a-Lago along with assorted newspapers and magazines.

The Justice Department said it censored the affidavit to protect "a significant number of civilian witnesses".

Trump said the inquiry was being led by "political Hacks and Thugs".

On Friday, the US Department of Justice released a version of the affidavit used to justify the FBI's incursion into Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8, but it has been heavily redacted.

Given that the court papers were filed before the search of the Palm Beach estate, they contain no new details on the 11 sets of classified documents that the justice department has said were recovered from the exclusive golf club.

The FBI agent who drafted the affidavit wrote they had "probable cause" to believe that "evidence, contraband, fruits of crimes or other items illegally possessed" would be discovered.

"There is also probable cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises," the agent added.

The document shows that the unprecedented criminal investigation into a former president began after the National Archives, which maintains historic White House records, identified "a lot" of classified files among 15 boxes that it had recovered from Mar-a-Lago in January this year.

An FBI review of those materials uncovered 184 classified documents, including 25 marked as "Top Secret".

The cache included information from highly sensitive US intelligence human sources. Some items were also marked "Noforn" — meaning they must not be released to foreign nationals.

The files — some of which appeared to show Trump's handwritten notes — were interspersed with newspapers, magazines and other documents, according to the affidavit.

"Of most significant concern was that highly classified records were unfoldered, intermixed with other records and otherwise unproperly identified," the document said.

The discovery led investigators to believe that Trump may have been in violation of three separate federal laws, including the Espionage Act that governs classified information.

Of the 38 pages in the unsealed affidavit, 21 are mostly or entirely blacked out. There are several pages in which not a single word is visible.

A separate document explaining the proposed redactions noted that some parts of the affidavit must remain under seal to "protect the safety and privacy of civilian witnesses, in addition to law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation".

Revealing the identities of witnesses, the document added, could potentially lead to them being subjected to harms including "retaliation, intimidation, or harassment and even threats to their physical safety".

Trump — who may launch another White House campaign for 2024 — reacted angrily on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He said that Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the search, should never have allowed the "break-in of my home". Trump also accused the judge of "animosity" towards him.

He has maintained that he had already ordered all the documents to be declassified.

The Justice Department's investigation is now expected to continue behind closed doors as it continues to review the documents and — potentially — call in more witnesses.

The public may not hear from prosecutors about the investigation until a decision has been made on whether it will result in any criminal charges.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×