Judge won't release info about FBI raid of conservative Project Veritas founder's apartment

A federal magistrate judge will not release details about an FBI raid of the founder of the the conservative Project Veritas media outlet.

Federal agents seized cell phones Nov. 6 from conservative activist James O'Keefe at his Mamaroneck, New York, apartment during an apparent investigation of the alleged theft of a diary belonging to President Joe Biden's daughter, but Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave ruled the records should remain sealed for now to protect Ashley Biden's privacy, reported Politico.

“The Court is attentive to the fact that the Government is investigating potential criminal activity relating to the transmission of personal information about a private citizen, who happens to be the daughter of President Biden,” Cave ruled. “Given the details about Ms. Biden’s personal information included in the Materials, ‘the privacy interests of innocent third parties’ — including the victim of the alleged criminal activity — is in important countervailing factor against granting public access.”

The magistrate judge referred to O'Keefe as one of the "subjects" of the investigation in her 19-page ruling, which indicates the hidden-camera video producer is not currently seen by prosecutors as someone who will be charged and raises questions about the raid on his home, since authorities are not typically permitted to use search and seizure warrants to obtain unpublished materials about crimes allegedly committed by someone else.

READ: Legal expert explains how the theft of Biden daughter's diary turned into a federal investigation

His attorney has said O'Keefe purchased the "rights" to the diary from two individuals who claimed they found it abandoned in a room where Ashley Biden had been staying.

O'Keefe says his group never published anything from the diary because they couldn't confirm its authenticity, and the journal was later turned over to law enforcement in Florida after an attorney for the president's daughter refused to accept it.

A district court judge in Manhattan is approved a request filed by Project Veritas to appoint a special master to oversee any searches related to the conservative group.