Trump’s petition, filed in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, also demanded that the U.S. Department of Justice provide him with a more detailed proof of ownership detailing the items seized by the FBI from his home in Mar-a- Lago during the investigation on August 8. and asked investigators to return any items outside the scope of the search warrant. “Politics must not be allowed to influence the administration of justice,” the filing states. “Law enforcement is a shield that protects Americans. It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes,” he added. Sometimes a special master may be appointed in highly sensitive cases to review seized material and ensure that investigators are not looking at privileged information. When FBI agents searched the homes of former Trump lawyers Michael Cohen and Rudy Giuliani, the US attorney’s office in Manhattan requested the appointment of a special master. WATCHES | Trump under investigation for violations of the Espionage Act:
Trump is under investigation for violations of the Espionage Act, FBI search warrant reveals
A US federal judge has unsealed the search warrant used at former US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department released a short list of what FBI agents seized, which included 20 boxes of papers that could violate US espionage laws. Trump’s request was assigned to U.S. District Judge Eileen M. Cannon, whom Trump appointed to the bench. A Justice Department spokesman said prosecutors would file their response in court. “The Aug. 8 search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was approved by a federal judge after the required probable cause finding,” said spokesman Anthony Colley. Judge Bruce Rinehart, the judge who approved the warrant, is considering whether to require the Justice Department to release a redacted copy of the affidavit containing evidence of probable cause to search Trump’s home. The Justice Department at a court hearing last week objected to his release, saying it would provide a “road map” of its investigation and potentially spoil the cooperation of witnesses. In a court order filed earlier Monday, Reinhart said he agreed those were legitimate concerns, but said he wanted to explore whether there was a “less burdensome alternative to sealing the entire document.” WATCHES | Parts of the Trump affidavit could be unsealed:
Parts of the Trump affidavit could be unsealed
U.S. District Judge Bruce Rinehart said he is leaning toward releasing some of the evidence used to justify the U.S. Justice Department’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort last week. The Justice Department has until noon Thursday to provide him with a sealed, redacted copy of the document he could potentially release. The Aug. 8 investigation at Mar-a-Lago marked a major escalation in one of several federal and state probes Trump has faced since his time in office and into private businesses. After Trump and his allies complained to the media that the search was politically motivated, US Attorney General Merrick Garland asked the court to release a redacted copy of the search warrant and proof of ownership describing the items taken. The investigation is part of a federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed documents when he left office in January 2021 after losing the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. During its investigation, the FBI seized 11 sets of classified material at Mar-a-Lago, some of which were classified as “top secret” – the highest level of classification reserved for the most sensitive US national security information and which can only be viewed in special government facilities. It is unclear whether Trump waited too long to request the appointment of a special master. Last week, Trump released a redacted Aug. 15 email he received from Jay Bratt, the department’s counterintelligence chief, who said he had deployed a “filter” team of agents tasked with weeding out privileged material.
