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| Photo Credit: AP. |
A federal judge Monday granted a request by former President Donald Trump to appoint a special master in a bid to review documents seized from Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida home during a raid by FBI agents on August 8.
U.S.
District Judge Aileen Cannon ruling authorizes an outside legal expert to
review documents recovered from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate that might see the
removal of certain records protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or
executive privilege.
"The
court hereby authorizes the appointment of a special master to review the
seized property for personal items and documents and potentially privileged
material subject to claims of attorney-client and/or executive privilege,"
Judge Aileen Cannon wrote in an order Monday, Newsweek reports.
The decision
is putting a “brief pause” into investigation of Trump by the Justice
Department relating to possible violation of the Espionage Act as well as a
criminal investigation into mishandling, storage and removal of classified
records.
By the ruling,
government investigators are effectively barred from "reviewing and using
the seized materials for investigative purposes" until the special
master's review is complete, Newsweek reported.
The
Department of Justice (DOJ) had argued that a special master was not necessary because
its officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged
documents.
“The Court
is mindful that restraints on criminal prosecutions are disfavored, but finds
that these unprecedented circumstances call for a brief pause to allow for
neutral, third-party review to ensure a just process with adequate safeguards,”
Cannon, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 24-page order, The Washington Times
reported.
The Justice
Department said Monday it was reviewing although it is not clear if it plans to
appeal the ruling.
“The United
States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the
ongoing litigation,” said Justice Department in a statement, The Associated
Press reported.
Attorneys
for the former President had argued in a filing last week that “unchecked
investigators” could not be trusted to conduct a fair investigation, according
to The Washington Times.
The
Associated Press reported that the DOJ and Trump’s lawyers have until Friday to
submit a list of proposed special master candidates.
FBI agents
seized about 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items during its raid at
Mar-a-Lago, according to The Associated Press. 100 of the documents had
classification markings.