The DOJ has redacted the reasons for its redactions in the Trump affidavit

The Justice Department on Friday released a redacted version of both the affidavit and memo related to the recent FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Florida mansion.
Quite comically, however, the DOJ actually redacted portions of the documents in which it is explaining the rationale behind the redactions. As a result ... many of the pages didn't reveal much.
Those following the case had an absolute field day sharing screenshots of the almost completely blacked-out material, especially when the eliminated text rendered clauses like "for example" or "as explained in the affidavit" completely moot.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But you might be wondering ... what's all the added secrecy for, anyway? Well, it's first important to note how highly unusual it is for the Justice Department to release any part of an affidavit to the public, lest the disclosure affect an ongoing investigation or trial. But secondly, reports The New York Times, the DOJ had, under judge's orders, proposed the redactions "in an effort to shield witnesses" in the investigation "from intimidation or retribution." The unreleased portions also protect the identity of law enforcement officials and other pieces of the case itself, notes The Associated Press.
As for noteworthy revelations from the affidavit's unredacted portions, it appears 14 of the 15 boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago back in January contained classified documents, "many of them top secret," AP writes.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Law: The battle over birthright citizenship
Feature Trump shifts his focus to nationwide injunctions after federal judges block his attempt to end birthright citizenship
-
The threat to the NIH
Feature The Trump administration plans drastic cuts to medical research. What are the ramifications?
-
Courts try to check administration on deportations
Feature The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to end protected status for Venezuelans, but blocks deportations under the Alien Enemies Act
-
House GOP pushes ahead on deficit-boosting tax bill
Feature Republicans push a bill that will lock in Trump's tax cuts, cut Medicaid and add trillions to the national debt
-
'Gen Z has been priced out of a future, so we invest in the present'
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges
-
Germany lifts Kyiv missile limits as Trump, Putin spar
speed read Russia's biggest drone and missile attacks of the war prompted Trump to post that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!'
-
Donald Trump's foreign policy flip in the Middle East
Talking Point Surprise lifting of sanctions on Syria shows Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are now effectively 'dictating US foreign policy'