Donald Trump’s request to have a special master analyse the papers taken during the raid on Mar-a-Lago has been approved by a federal court in Florida, fulfilling the former president’s primary demand and putting the clamps on the government’s probe.
Trump’s request to name a special master to search the confiscated property for “personal goods and papers and possibly privileged evidence susceptible to claims of attorney client and/or executive privilege” was granted by Judge Aileen Cannon.
Additionally, the judge nominated by Trump “temporarily enjoins” the government from “reviewing and utilising the confiscated documents” until the review is finished.
That has a secondary advantage of slowing the rapid-fire processes that have started since the August 8 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago for Trump and his legal team.
Judge Cannon surprised some legal experts with a decision last Saturday that demonstrated her momentary propensity to approve Trump’s demand for a special master. She then issued the order in a judgement on Labor Day.
Trump’s legal team made its first demand in a document filed in federal court in Florida after another judge decided to reveal the affidavit that helped support the request for the FBI to search the former president’s private club with significantly redacted information.
In a scathing 36-page filing in response to Trump’s Florida lawsuit, the government provided additional details about the volume of sensitive information that investigators discovered at Mar-a-Lago.
They also shared an FBI image of papers with the designation “Top Secret” that were stolen from Trump’s office and strewn out on a carpet.
The judge stated that a classification review or intelligence assessment should not be hampered by her order.
That follows Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’ announcement that she will brief two congressional committees on the national security materials found at Mar-a-Lago.
The court instructed the defence and government attorneys representing Trump to consult and provide a list of potential special master candidates along with a timetable for evaluation and remuneration.
Regarding Trump’s request for the return of items seized during the search, the court withheld a decision.
During the raid, the FBI seized 33 boxes containing more than 100 classified records and discovered hidden records in Trump’s office, according to the filing.
One was labelled “SECRET/SCI” with a rust-colored border, while the others had borders that said “TOP SECRET/SCI.”
More to come