- The US Department of Justice has moved to unseal the Mar-a-Lago search warrant.
- Trump himself could release the warrant himself immediately.
- But the former president's team is reportedly consulting outside counsel before deciding.
Former President Donald Trump could unilaterally release the warrant that federal agents used to search his resort and residence at Mar-a-Lago. But news reports suggest that Trump and his allies are still trying to decide whether or not to fight the Department of Justice's motion to unseal the document — and the list of goods that were confiscated.
At a Thursday afternoon press conference, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he was moving to release the search warrant in light of the publicity surrounding the case. The judge who signed off on the warrant has ordered the Department of Justice to confer with Trump's attorneys and inform the court by 3 p.m. on Friday as to whether the former president plans to fight the release.
According to The New York Times, Trump's allies are "discussing the possibility of challenging" the release of the documents and have "contacted outside lawyers" to discuss the matter. CNN reported Thursday evening that the former president and his team "have not yet reached a decision." Both outlets reported that his team is consulting with outside attorneys.
William Jeffress, a lawyer who previously represented former President Richard Nixon, told Insider that he would not object to a client wanting to release the documents on their own, as is Trump's right. But there are mitigating factors, he noted.
"As a defense lawyer, I see no danger that release of the items would hurt his legal defense," Jeffress said. "But it surely might hurt his effort in the media to characterize the search as baseless or abusive."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
