Justice Department seeks to unseal Trump raid search warrant, Attorney General Merrick Garland says

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that the Justice Department has asked a federal judge to unseal a search warrant used by the FBI to raid the Florida home of former President Donald Trump three days earlier.

That warrant will include an affidavit detailing the justification for the search, and details about what crime or crimes federal law enforcement officials suspect were broken.

Garland also said, "I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter."

Trump and his allies have claimed the Justice Department and Garland, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, searched the Mar-a-Lago club on Monday to hurt the former president politically.

They had pushed Garland to explain the raid, which appears to be related to the removal of records from the White House when Trump left office in Jan. 2021.

"Let me address recent unfounded attacks on the professionalism of the FBI and Justice Department agents and prosecutors," Garland said at a press conference.

"I will not stand by silently, when their integrity is unfairly attacked."

Federal investigators must show a judge they have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed in order to obtain a search warrant.

Current and former senior Justice Department officials told NBC News that multiple people within the Justice Department believed Garland needed to explain the basis of the warrant.

FBI agent seized about a dozen boxes from Trump's home, his lawyer said.

That lawyer said agents left a copy of the search warrant, which indicated they are investigating possible violations of laws related to the Presidential Records Act and the handling of classified material.

A senior White House official told NBC News that they were unaware of what Garland would say.

"We have had no notice that he was giving remarks and no briefing on the content of them," the official said.

The Justice Department, and Garland, have a longstanding policy about not commenting on criminal investigations before charges are filed.