Documents seized by FBI from Mar-a-Lago
Source: Department of Justice
A federal judge on Monday authorized the appointment of a special master to review records seized from President Donald Trump‘s Florida residence by the FBI in a raid last month, a move that had been sought by lawyers for Trump.
Judge Aileen Cannon at the same time temporarily blocked the Department of Justice from reviewing or using the seized material for investigative purposes, until the special master’s examination of the documents is completed, or until a further court order.
That independent third party will examine “the seized property for personal items and documents and potentially privileged material subject to claims of attorney-client and/or executive privilege,” Cannon wrote in an order issued in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Cannon said her order would not impede an ongoing review of classified documents found at Trump’s residence and the assessment of any possible damage on U.S. intelligence by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The judge ordered the DOJ and Trump’s lawyers to confer and jointly submit a list of proposed special master candidates by Friday. and also outline what they believe should be the special master’s duties and limitations, as well as the watchdog’s compensation.
Trump had asked for a special master to be appointed weeks after the Aug. 8 raid of his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, which found more than 10,000 government documents, a number of which were highly classified.
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 its ongoing criminal investigation.
The DOJ and a spokeswoman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Cannon’s order.
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