On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department has filed a legal motion in the southern district of Florida to unseal the warrant and FBI property receipt in the search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago residence. Garland said he personally approved the search warrant, and that Trump’s counsel was given a copy of the search warrant and FBI property receipt at Mar-A-Lago on Monday during the search.  Said the Attorney General: “The Justice Department has filed a motion in the southern district of Florida to unseal a search warrant and property receipt relating to a court approved search the FBI conducted earlier this week. That search was a premises in southern Florida belonging to the former president.”

Garland added:  “The department filed a motion to make public the warrant and receipt in light of the former president’s public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter. Faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of the Justice Department and of our democracy. Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly without fear or favor. Under my watch, that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing.”

Garland also defended the department from the attacks by Republicans about its credibility and independence: “I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked. The men and women of the FBI and Justice Department are dedicated, patriot public servants. Every day they protect the American people form violent crime, terrorism and other threats to their safety, while safeguarding our civil rights.”

Garland said the search warrant was authorized by a court upon probable cause. The FBI carried out the warrant as part of a court-authorized search related to an investigation into potential mishandling of classified documents that ended up at Mar-a-Lago.

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