Hearing Underway on Potentially Unsealing FBI’s Mar-a-Lago Raid Records

A federal magistrate in Florida is set to hold a hearing Thursday on whether to make public the probable cause affidavit used to justify the FBI’s raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

The hearing is in response to several media outlets asking the court to make the affidavit public to understand the reasoning for a raid on the home of a former commander-in-chief.

Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who green-lit the original search warrant Aug. 5, is slated to preside over the hearing, although it is unclear whether he will make a decision from the bench or take the case under advisement.

For more on this story:
Judge to weigh whether unsealing affidavit for Mar-a-Lago raid will jeopardize Trump investigation

A hearing is now underway in Florida over whether to make public the probable cause affidavit used to justify the FBI’s raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

The hearing is in response to several media outlets asking the court to make the affidavit public to understand the reasoning for a raid on the home of a former commander-in-chief.

Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty Thursday to tax violations spanning over a decade.

Weisselberg, 75, was charged with evading taxes by receiving perks that were not counted as income. He pleaded not guilty to 15 counts, including grand larceny last year, which, in the state of New York, is the unlawful taking of funds or property valued at $50,000 or more.

A source familiar with the potential deal told Fox News that Weisselberg was expected to serve 100 days behind bars and testify about the Trump Organization’s business practices. The source said that Weisselberg would not be sentenced or surrender until after the trial.

For more on this story: Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleads guilty to tax violations

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., argues for the release of the FBI affidavit used to justify Mar-a-Lago raid and discusses the CDC COVID-19 failures and the border crisis.

Former federal prosecutor Jonathan Fahey on the Trump Mar-A-Lago affidavit and whether it should be leaked and how the Biden administration considers open borders a success.

Former President Donald Trump has responded to a Washington Post report that claimed he was urgently looking to bolster his legal team following an FBI raid on his private Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the report “fake news” and continued to claim he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

“The WAPO story that ‘Trump is scrambling to add seasoned lawyers’ to the Mar-a-Lago Raid case is, as usual, FAKE NEWS,” he wrote. “I already have excellent and experienced lawyers – am very happy with them.”

The Washington Post published a report on Tuesday — titled “Trump is rushing to hire seasoned lawyers — but he keeps hearing ‘No’” — in which the outlet claimed Trump’s current legal team does not have anyone with federal case experience.

For more on this story: Trump calls Washington Post ‘Fake News’ following report claiming he’s ‘scrambling’ for lawyers after FBI raid

Senate Judiciary ranking member Chuck Grassley says whistleblower allegations reveal a “deeply rooted political infection” within the FBI.

In an Aug. 17 letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Iowa Republican demanded an accounting for alleged political bias influencing high-level investigations, particularly out of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. office.

“Starting on May 31, 2022, I’ve written three letters to you regarding political bias that has infected the FBI’s Washington Field Office,” Grassley writes. “Two of those letters provided specific and credible allegations based on numerous whistleblowers that have approached my office with information that one can only conclude is indicative of a deeply rooted political infection that has spread to investigative activity into former President Trump and Hunter Biden.”

Grassley claims that the FBI approved investigative activity into the Trump campaign with questionable predication while also choosing to “shut down investigative activity and sources, which included verified and verifiable information, relating to Hunter Biden.”

For more on this story: Grassley says new whistleblower info reveals ‘deeply rooted political infection’ within the FBI

Former Homeland Security official Jonathan Fahey and founder of the Article III Project Mike Davis weigh the risks and benefits of the public seeing the Trump investigation affidavit on ‘Fox News @ Night.’

The plea agreement that Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg is considering in the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation would not include cooperation with the government against former President Donald Trump or any members of the Trump family, two sources familiar with the potential deal told Fox News.

One of the sources told Fox News that “there’s absolutely no cooperation” against Trump or his family but said that Weisselberg would be expected to testify against the Trump Organization as an entity if he enters the plea agreement, which is expected to be formally entered this Thursday.

Weisselberg, 75, was charged with evading taxes by receiving perks that were not counted as income. He pleaded not guilty to 15 counts, including grand larceny last year, which, in the state of New York, is the unlawful taking of funds or property valued at $50,000 or more and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

For more on this story: Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg plea deal would not include cooperation against Trump: sources

FIRST ON FOX: The unprecedented raid on Mar-a-Lago last week plunged the country into a political media maelstrom as reports rained down ranging from nuclear-related documents being sought to former President Trump’s passports being taken.

Republicans have denounced the raid, and House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee held a press conference in the wake of the FBI’s actions.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has not responded to House Intelligence Committee Republicans’ letter requesting a briefing on the unprecedented raid, Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital.

Mullin, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, spoke with Fox News Digital over the phone and was asked if he had any insight on the raid he could share.

“To be honest, I want to be very honest. We don’t,” Mullin said, referring to Republican intelligence committee members. “That’s the frustrating thing about it.”

For more on this story: Markwayne Mullin talks Mar-a-Lago raid, says DOJ has not responded to intel committee letter

Former Vice President Mike Pence said in New Hampshire Wednesday that Republicans should exercise restraint when talking about the FBI’s raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

“I also want to remind my fellow Republicans, we can hold the attorney general accountable for the decision he made without attacking the rank-and-file law enforcement personnel at the FBI,” Pence said at the Politics & Eggs event at St. Anselm College, according to the Associated Press.

“The Republican Party is the party of law and order,” Pence added. “Our party stands with the men and women who stand on the thin blue line at the federal and state and local level, and these attacks on the FBI must stop. Calls to defund the FBI are just as wrong as calls to defund the police.”

A Trump spokesperson is speaking out Thursday about the former president’s legal team ahead of a hearing Thursday on potentially unsealing FBI records related to last week’s raid on Mar-a-Lago.

“The President’s lead counsel in relation to the raid of his home, Jim Trusty and Evan Corcoran, have decades of prosecutorial experience and have litigated some of the most complex cases in American history,” the spokesperson told Fox News.

“President Trump is represented by some of the strongest attorneys in the country, and any suggestion otherwise is only driven by envy, given President Trump is more popular than ever and this Biden witch hunt has been quickly exposed as an unprecedented and unnecessary abuse of power by President Trump’s political opponents who are getting crushed everywhere, including in Wyoming where Liz Cheney has been destroyed by Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman,” the spokesperson added.

Fox News’ Mark Meredith contributed to this report.

‘Lawrence Jones Cross Country’ host Lawrence Jones joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the latest on the FBI’s Trump raid and Joe Rogan’s thoughts on the motive behind the incident.

Attorney for former President Donald Trump Alina Habba shares her insight on how the judge in the case of the Mar-a-Lago raid will treat proceedings on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

For more on this story: Alina Habba: I do not believe this judge will reveal the affidavit

Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz described the questions that the affidavit in the FBI’s Trump raid may answer Tuesday on “Hannity.”

For more on this story: What the affidavit for the FBI’s Trump raid may reveal: Alan Dershowitz

Is the news really all bad for Donald Trump?

Well, mostly. But there are two key reasons why the Mar-a-Lago mess might wind up boosting him politically.

For more on this story:
Trump troubles could still backfire on his critics, while Biden briefly breaks through

Former President Donald Trump took a victory lap on social media after his endorsed congressional candidate in Wyoming Harriet Hageman defeated Rep. Liz Cheney in the state’s Republican primary.

In a series of posts, Trump applauded the “very decisive win” and lambasted Cheney, who he described as “spiteful” and “a fool.” He also thanked Wyoming voters for the “very decisive win.”

“Congratulations to Harriet Hageman on her great and very decisive WIN in Wyoming,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social shortly after the race was called. “This is a wonderful result for America, and a complete rebuke of the Unselect Committee of political Hacks and Thugs.”

For more on this story: Trump blasts Liz Cheney after primary loss to Harriet Hagerman: ‘The people have spoken’

Former President Trump on Tuesday said the Department of Justice and FBI had returned his passports.

“Thank you! Unfortunately, when they Raided my home, Mar-a-Lago, 8 days ago, they just opened their arms and grabbed everything in sight, much as a common criminal would do,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “This shouldn’t happen in America!”

CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell took heat for a tweet that stated the FBI did not have former President Trump’s passports, with critics blasting her for leaving up a tweet after it was seemingly debunked.

Trump alleged the FBI “stole” three of his passports on Monday, calling it an “assault on a political opponent at a level never seen before in our country.”

Read more.

Former President Donald Trump said the FBI demanded that all security cameras be turned off during the Mar-a-Lago raid last week.

“What is that all about?” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “We said no!”

Former acting chief of staff for President Donald Trump Mick Mulvaney said he hopes Trump does not run in 2024 in a Monday evening appearance on Newsnation’s, “Banfield.”

“I don’t think we should be offering Donald Trump,” Mulvaney told anchor Ashleigh Banfield. “I also think it’s also a time actually for the next generation to take over anyway.”

Mulvaney, who resigned from his White House position in January 2021 citing the Jan. 6 riots, said he would have a “hard time” voting for the former president if Trump were the 2024 Republican candidate.

For more on this story: Former Trump adviser Mick Mulvaney says he hopes Trump does not run in 2024

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart scheduled an in-person hearing on Thursday in Florida regarding the unsealing of FBI records related to last week’s raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

The hearing is set to be held Aug. 18 in the West Palm Beach Division. Reinhart will discuss with the government and Trump’s legal team the motion to unseal the search warrant materials and attachments—the affidavit for the search warrant likely is included in that material.

Media organizations are asking Reinhart to unseal the affidavit despite objections by the Department of Justice. Reinhart has not ruled on the matter yet.

For more on this story: Judge schedules hearing on unsealing FBI Mar-a-Lago search records

After months of polling that showed a red wave could be imminent, Democrats could see a possible comeback in the midterms, according to a Washington Post column.

“Suddenly, the 2022 midterms are looking much better for Democrats, and there’s a simple explanation: Donald Trump is back on the ballot, metaphorically speaking,” columnist Dana Milbank wrote on Monday.

Describing the recent shift as a “historical anomaly,” Milbank noted that momentum has shifted in the direction of an incumbent president’s party late in the game of an election year—for the first time in modern history.

For more on this story:
Washington Post column: Midterms looking ‘much better’ for Democrats because of Trump

A Florida judge has scheduled a hearing Thursday in Florida regarding the matter of unsealing FBI records related to last week’s raid of Mar-a-Lago.

President Trump’s team
, on the Truth Social network, called for the unredacted release of the affidavit related to the search, but the Justice Department has opposed doing so, arguing that it will jeopardize the ongoing investigation.

Former President Donald Trump nearly had his summer vacation plans thwarted after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago resort and took his passports.

The FBI initially seized three passports from Trump, two of which were expired. The organization then contacted the former president and returned them on Tuesday. Trump reportedly plans to visit one of his golf resorts in the U.K. in the coming weeks.

Trump posted about the loss of his passports prior to having them returned on Monday. He incorrectly stated that only one of the passports was expired.

For more on this story: Trump’s vacation plans were nearly thwarted after FBI seized his passports