Documents seized by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago
Source: Department of Justice
A federal judge on Monday authorized the appointment of a special master to review records seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence by the FBI in a raid last month, a move his lawyers had requested .
At the same time, Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily blocked the Justice Department from reviewing or using the seized material for investigative purposes until the master’s special examination of the documents is completed or until further order judicial
That independent third party will examine “property seized for personal objects and documents and potentially privileged material subject to claims of attorney-client and/or executive privilege,” Cannon wrote in his order in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District from Florida.
Cannon said his order would not prevent an ongoing review of classified documents found at Trump’s residence and the Office of the Director of Intelligence’s assessment of any potential damage to U.S. intelligence. national
The judge, who was appointed by Trump, in her ruling nodded to the fact that the Aug. 8 raid at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach was the first time authorities police searched the residence of a former president. as part of a criminal investigation of that person.
As Trump’s lawyers argued in a court hearing last week, Cannon wrote, “The investigation and treatment of a former president is of unique interest to the general public, and the country is best served by a ordered that promotes interest and the perception of fairness.”
Cannon directed the DOJ and Trump’s lawyers to jointly confer and submit a list of proposed special master candidates by Friday. He also told them to outline what they think the special master’s duties and limitations should be, as well as the guard dog’s compensation.
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Trump had asked for a special master to be appointed weeks after the raid, during which FBI agents found more than 10,000 government documents, more than 100 of which were classified or highly classified.
FBI agents also found four dozen empty document folders marked “classified” during the raid, 43 that were found in Trump’s office. The remaining five empty folders with this mark were found in containers in a storage room.
The FBI also found another 42 empty folders marked “Return to Secretary of Personnel/Military.” [sic] Helper,” during the raid.
The DOJ had opposed the appointment of that watchdog, arguing that Trump had no right to possess the records and that a special master review would delay his ongoing criminal investigation.
But Cannon said in his order that he did not believe the special master’s review “under the present circumstances would cause undue delay.”
The DOJ and a Trump spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Cannon’s order.