Photo: Getty Images
Federal prosecutors are trying to keep sealed the search warrant and related records from and FBI search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home earlier this month.
According to The Washington Post, a coalition of more than a dozen media organizations, including the Post, is seeking access to the warrant and related records. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, is overseeing the dispute.
In a Tuesday (October 27) court filing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro argued that the request was premature because investigators are still reviewing evidence seized during the October 12 search and have not decided whether to file charges or whom to charge.
“This request sounds rash because it is rash,” Pirro wrote, according to The Hill. She argued that releasing the records could expose investigative sources and compromise the probe.
“Unsealing everything now imperils the investigation,” the Justice Department wrote, according to the Post.
The media organizations argue that the warrant application and supporting affidavit could reveal the investigation's targets, the evidence investigators have gathered, and how the probe began, according to the Post.
The October 12 search was part of a federal investigation into allegations that Omar or members of her family misrepresented information on immigration paperwork. The congresswoman has denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of politically targeting her.
As BIN previously reported, the Trump administration has also explored whether Omar could be stripped of her U.S. citizenship.
During an MS NOW interview on Wednesday (October 21), Omar announced plans to move out of her Washington residence, citing safety concerns after the search made her address public.
According to The Washington Post, prosecutors said in the filing that they may not oppose releasing some warrant records, with appropriate redactions, once the warrant has been fully executed and a public charging decision has been announced.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.