(CNN) — A group of more than 30 major media organizations, including CNN, is seeking information on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents case, including the names of some potential witnesses.
“Whatever the outcome of this trial, the public must have confidence in the process, and that confidence can only be fostered by transparency from start to finish in this process,” lawyers for the coalition wrote to the judge on Monday. media.
The information, which has been redacted in recent court documents, is the subject of a battle between Trump’s lawyers and the special counsel’s office.
Prosecutors from the Office of Special Counsel have told the judge overseeing the case they want to ascertain the “identity of any potential government witnesses,” indicating that intelligence from a separate investigation and FBI code names have not been disclosed in court documents.
Trump’s team argued that the information should be available to the public.
The comings and goings of the criminal national security mismanagement case against Trump and two of his staffers have largely been shrouded in secrecy because of how classified information is central to the case.
Legal teams participating in the trial must take special measures to work with classified information in the case, and defense attorneys periodically visit a secure facility in South Florida to review evidence and prepare for the trial, which is still scheduled for May.
Now the Media Coalition is in South Florida in the US. District Court Judge Eileen Cannon is asking to review the latest amendments to ensure they are fair and made only out of “compelling necessity”.
The battle over media transparency comes as Trump’s legal team has also sought additional records from federal agencies in the case, such as Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, the Council of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies. In their redacted court papers, Trump’s lawyers have outlined records they potentially want to build a defense in their case.
Trump’s team wants its filings to contain very few redacts, while the Justice Department has argued that redactions should remain so that the details that can be released do not jeopardize the safety of witnesses or national security.
Lawyers for the Press Coalition said they were not trying to gain access to classified documents in the court file.
In addition to CNN, the media coalition includes ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, C-SPAN, Wall Street Journal, Fox News Network, NPR, NBC News, New York Times, Politico, Washington Post and several other national news publishers. Local news media and television stations.
