Judge orders Friday release of redacted Mar-a-Lago search affidavit

A federal magistrate Thursday ordered the release of a redacted version of the Justice Department's affidavit that supported the unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate.

U.S. Magistrate Bruce Reinhart said the edited document would be made public by noon Friday. 

"I find that the Government has met its burden of showing a compelling reason/good cause to seal portions of the Affidavit because disclosure would reveal the identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties, the investigation’s strategy, direction, scope, sources, and methods, and grand jury information..." the judge wrote in a brief order, explaining why the entire document could not be released.

Reinhart's action came just hours after the Justice Department submitted a redacted version of the document used to justify the Aug. 8 search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, which Reinhart authorized.