Unsealing the Mar-a-Lago search affidavit

The public could see a redacted version of the Mar-a-Lago affidavit; Europe debates banning Russian tourists.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

DOJ ordered to redact and release Trump affidavit

 Drew Angerer/Getty Images

• A federal judge on Thursday expressed support for releasing parts of the affidavit that sparked the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. [CNN]
• At a hearing set after news organizations requested the complete affidavit, Judge Bruce Reinhart said the Department of Justice failed to justify keeping the document entirely secret. He ordered the DOJ to submit a redacted version for his approval within a week. [Associated Press / Terry Spencer and Michael Balsamo]
• The Department of Justice argued that releasing the affidavit would reveal the investigation’s direction and intent, and endanger witnesses. Affidavits are rarely made public until charges are filed. [New York Times / Patricia Mazzei and Alan Feuer]
• However, the department approved unsealing initial documents suggesting that crimes they’re investigating at Trump’s estate could include willful retention of national defense information, concealment or removal of government records, and obstruction of a federal investigation. [Guardian / Hugo Lowell and Richard Luscombe]
• If fully released, the affidavit would offer a complete picture of why the DOJ thinks crimes were committed at Mar-a-Lago. However, experts say the redacted version likely wouldn’t include many details. [Washington Post / Josh Dawsey and Perry Stein]

The EU weighs banning Russian tourists

• The European Union is divided on banning Russian tourists over the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine. [NYT / Steven Erlanger and Neil MacFarquhar]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed the ban earlier this month to punish Russia for violating international borders. Estonia implemented its ban on Thursday, and more countries could follow. [Axios / Jacob Knutson]
• However, Germany suggested focusing on punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin and his close allies, not everyday citizens. [CNN / Luke McGee]
• Meanwhile, tensions continued to build on Friday as Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. [CBS News]

On Thursday, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the arrest of 20 people for violating the state’s laws against certain felons voting. [CBS News / Aaron Navarro]

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that the GOP has a better chance of flipping the House than the Senate because of “candidate quality.” [The Hill / Mychael Schnell]
• On Friday, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced she had taken a drug test amid continued fallout over a leaked video of her dancing at a party. [BBC / Merlyn Thomas]
• Abortion will remain legal in Michigan after a judge ruled Friday that local prosecutors can’t enforce a 1931 ban until future challenges are resolved. [Washington Post / Kim Bellware]

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“You are standing in for the public, your honor. You are the gatekeeper.”

[Charles Tobin, lawyer for media seeking affidavit / NYT]

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