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Court can't release the FBI affidavit because the witnesses it exposes could be killed by Trump supporters: legal expert
August 17, 2022
On Wednesday's edition of MSNBC's "The ReidOut," former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade outlined the clear danger posed by former President Donald Trump's demand for federal officials to unseal the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The key problem, she pointed out, is that it could expose witnesses — whose lives would then be in danger.
"Why would Trump want this unsealed?" asked anchor Tiffany Cross. "Do you think this is his way of figuring out who the informants are? Again, it feels like thinks a crime syndicate, not a former president."
"You're absolutely right, Tiffany," said McQuade. "I think part of this is his public relations bid. He wants to frame himself as somehow being a victim, and being targeted, and being treated unfairly, so this is something he can argue about, but I think there's zero percent chance the judge will release the search warrant affidavit at this time because as you said, the Justice Department said it would compromise the identities of witnesses, as well as reveal grand jury material that by law cannot be released. So I think there's no chance."
The real danger is not Trump himself, clarified McQuade, but his supporters.
"Imagine not what Trump, but his followers might do to a witness who gets identified and outed by this affidavit," said McQuade. "We saw that attack on the Cincinnati FBI field office last week. One could just imagine what may happen to this person, whoever it may be, who is identified in this affidavit."
Watch below:
Barbara McQuade says DOJ affidavit could but witnesses against Trump in danger www.youtube.com
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Democrat Daniel Goldman took a victory lap on Wednesday after receiving a facetious endorsement for Congress from Donald Trump.
"Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress, NY-10, and it is my great honor to strongly endorse him," Trump posted to Truth Social.
"I do this not because of the fact that he headed up the impeachment Committee and lost, but because he was honorable, fair, and highly intelligent," Trump continued. "While it was my honor to beat him, and beat him badly, Dan Goldman has a wonderful future ahead."
"He will be very compassionate and compromising to those within the Republican Party, and will do everything possible to make sure they have a fair chance at winning against the Radical Left Democrats, who he knows are destroying our Country," Trump charged. "I would like to thank Dan for fighting so hard for America, and for working so tirelessly to stop 'Trump.' He was not easy to beat, but winning against him made me realize just how very talented I am!"
Goldman's campaign responded on Wednesday evening.
"Last week, Donald Trump attacked Dan Goldman, who led his impeachment," Goldman's campaign said in a statement. "Now he's pretending to endorse Goldman."
"This is a pathetic attempt at fooling Democrats who are far smarter than Trump is, and it's clear that only one candidate in NY-10 is living rent-free in Trump's head," Goldman's campaign said.
U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, New York State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou and others are running in the August 23rd Democratic Party primary for the tenth congressional district nomination.
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On Wednesday, CNN reported that former President Donald Trump is considering releasing surveillance footage from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, depicting the FBI executing their search warrant. However, his associates are divided on whether this is actually a good idea.
"Some of Trump's aides and allies have encouraged the former President to make some of the footage available to the public, believing it could send a jolt of energy through the Republican Party's base," reported Gabby Orr, Sara Murray, Kaitlan Collins, and Katelyn Polantz.
"One person familiar with the conversations said there have been discussions about featuring the August footage in campaign-style ads, believing the footage could bolster Trump's claims of political persecution. Another person close to Trump said it's not a matter of if the former President and his team release any of the footage, but when, noting it could be released before he makes a campaign announcement."
"Others in Trump's orbit have warned of the potential risks to the former President if he does release the tapes. A second person close to Trump cautioned that releasing the footage could backfire by providing people with a visual understanding of the sheer volume of materials that federal agents seized from his oceanfront residence, including classified materials," said the report.
"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. I don't see how that helps him,' said this person, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity in order the speak candidly."
According to previous reports, FBI agents were searching for large amounts of highly classified information at Mar-a-Lago — including secrets pertaining to nuclear weapons.
RELATED: DOJ issues another subpoena — and thinks J6 Committee has evidence a crime was committed: report
Trump has claimed the entire thing is a "witch hunt" and has aggressively fundraised off of attacking the FBI — even though the agency is headed by his own appointed director Christopher Wray, and even though far-right activists have been threatening or actually engaging in violent attacks on the FBI.
"While it is unclear exactly what the surveillance footage could show, Trump and his attorneys say they taped the August 8 search by federal investigators even after agents asked them to turn off the security cameras," said the report. "Jay Bratt, the chief of the counterintelligence and export control section at the Justice Department who visited Mar-a-Lago in June, was the official who made the specific ask the day of the search, a source familiar tells CNN. The Justice Department had previously subpoenaed surveillance footage from the club as part of its ongoing investigation, including outside the room where documents were kept."
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