Donald Trump has filed his official response to the Mar-a-Lago raid by FBI agents: A lawsuit demanding that documents seized by the Justice Department be overseen by a special master. Meanwhile, Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the original search warrant, is considering whether to order the revised release of an affidavit that led to the search authorization — or keep it completely sealed. The Ministry of Justice is also speaking. In a brief statement in response to Mr. Trump’s lawsuit, an agency spokesman noted that a judge agreed that the government had found probable cause to execute the search warrant and promised to respond further in court. For now, the raid appears to have boosted Donald Trump’s poll numbers among Republican voters, with several polls showing him surging over the top Democratic challenger, Ron DeSandis.
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Trump issues statement on new lawsuit
Donald Trump issued a lengthy statement detailing his decision to request the appointment of a special master to oversee documents obtained from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI under a search warrant. “We now demand that the Department of Justice be ordered to immediately stop reviewing documents illegally seized from my home. ALL documents have been previously declassified,” the former president writes. “We further demand that the DOJ be forced to turn over a REAL, non-“plant” inventory of my property that was taken and reveal where that property is now located. We demand the IMMEDIATE return of all items illegally taken from my home,” he continued. Read more from The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg:
Trump Sues ‘Special Master’ To Review Documents Seized By FBI From Mar-a-Lago
Trump’s lawyers claim all documents seized from his home and office are ‘presumptively privileged’ John Bowden August 23, 2022 03:00 am 1661216424
Former Fox News political editor accuses old bosses of harassing Trump fans
Chris Stirewalt is getting rid of his former network because of his years of loyalty to Donald Trump and his reluctance to air content that angers his supporters. He argues in his new book that his refusal to stop calling Arizona for the Biden campaign on election night, thus sealing Trump’s fate, angered Trump supporters who expected the network to present a rosier view of the night elections. “Even in the four years since the last presidential election, Fox viewers were even more accustomed to flattery and less willing to hear news that challenged their expectations,” Mr. Stirewalt writes. “Me serving green beans to spectators who had been spoon-feeding them ice cream for years caused a terrible shock to their systems.” Read more from Gustaf Kilander of the Independent:
Former Fox News political editor blasts the network
“Serving green beans to viewers who had been spoon-fed ice cream for years was a terrible shock to their systems,” writes Chris Stirewalt. John Bowden August 23, 2022 02:00 1661212824
Trump’s top foe Fauci will move into a new role in December
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert and chief medical adviser to the White House, will step down from the administration after nearly half a century of service in December. President Joe Biden announced the news on Monday. Dr. Fauci explained in his statement that he was not fully retiring, but was stepping away from his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Read more from Alex Woodward about the departure of this top health official turned nemesis of Donald Trump:
Anthony Fauci will resign from the government in December
“After more than 50 years in government, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while still having as much energy and passion for my field” John Bowden August 23, 2022 1:00 am 1661208148
Donald Trump PAC used $650,000 in money from supporters to finance official portrait: documents
More than half a million in donations to Donald Trump’s Save America PAC were used by the group to fund the commissioning of a portrait of the former president and his wife Melania to hang in the Smithsonian. The political action committee transferred the $650,000 “philanthropic contribution” to the Smithsonian in July, which was first reported by Insider. Read more from The Independent’s Josh Marcus:
Donald Trump used $650,000 in money from supporters to finance official portrait: documents
All presidential portraits at the Smithsonian are privately funded, the museum says John Bowden 22 August 2022 23:42 1661205959
GOP Sen. Ron Johnson says his involvement in Jan. 6 voter fraud scheme lasted ‘a few seconds’
Ron Johnson is dropping out Jan. 6 as his Democratic challenger for his U.S. Senate seat gains statewide traction. The Wisconsin Republican told a CBS News reporter in a new interview that his involvement in a fraudulent voter registration scheme for his state lasted only “a few seconds.” “I had no idea that someone would ask me to deliver them. My involvement in the delivery effort lasted a few seconds,” he claimed. Read more from The Independent’s Andrew Naughtie:
Sen. Ron Johnson says his involvement in Jan. 6 voter fraud scheme lasted ‘a few seconds’
Tea Partier-turned-Trumpist appears to have lost ground to Democratic challenger in unexpectedly competitive re-election race John Bowden August 22, 2022 11:05 pm 1661203914
Trump Sues Over FBI Mar-a-Lago Raid, Wants ‘Special Master’ To Review Documents
Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit asking a court to appoint a special master to oversee documents seized by the FBI during its recent Mar-a-Lago raid and determine whether they are protected by the attorney-client privilege. The former president has been mulling such a motion for several days, and it’s his first real legal response to the FBI’s claim that all the documents it seized were government records that should have been turned over to the National Archives. In addition, some are reportedly classified at high levels. The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg has more: John Bowden 22 August 2022 22:31 1661200396
Congressional leaders reportedly ask to see documents seized from Mar-a-Lago
Top congressional leaders from both major parties are demanding to see documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago, as Republicans continue to dispute the alleged political nature of the raid. It’s unclear whether that will happen, Eric Garcia writes, noting that the Justice Department rarely honors requests for information about active investigations. The Justice Department has described the investigation into Donald Trump’s storage of classified material at Mar-a-Lago as in its early stages. Read more in the Independent:
Congressional leaders reportedly ask to see documents seized from Mar-a-Lago
It is unclear whether the Justice Department will brief lawmakers on the search of former President Donald Trump’s home because it is part of an ongoing criminal investigation. John Bowden 22 August 2022 21:33 1661198441
Trump-aligned governor faces ethics probe
South Dakota Gov. Christy Noem is now facing an ethics investigation after the state’s attorney general was subpoenaed by a state watchdog agency. Ms. Noem is considered an ally of Donald Trump and spoke in support of his 2020 re-election bid at the Republican National Convention. Read more from the Independent’s Eric Garcia:
South Dakota attorney general to investigate ethics complaint against Gov. Christy Noem
Noem is considered a possible 2024 presidential candidate John Bowden August 22, 2022 9:00 p.m 1661197075
Former White House press secretary says Trump treated classified documents like ‘his own shiny toy’
Stephanie Grisham disputes explanations from Trump supporters who claim the former president did not mishandle classified materials by storing them at his Mar-a-Lago resort after his presidency ended. Ms. Grisham told The Associated Press that her former boss was “careless” with classified material when he was in office and “never seemed to engage with why this was bad.” Read more from Eric Garcia at The Independent:
Former White House press secretary says Trump treated classified documents like ‘shiny toy’
Stephanie Grisham says Trump ‘never seemed to engage with why this was bad’ John Bowden 22 August 2022 20:37 1661195495
Dr. Oz accused of running away from Pennsylvania voters in campaign video
Dr. Oz faces more trouble on the campaign trail, this time as a result of the efforts of abortion rights activists. After the whirlwind of ridicule he’s faced as a result of the embarrassing grocery store video, the Pennsylvania Senate candidate is now the subject of another video circulating on Twitter in which he and his team walk away from a group of women who describe themselves as “Pennsylvania voters”, who shouts questions at the departing Dr Oz as he exits a voter meet and greet. Read more from The Independent’s Graig Graziosi:
Dr. Oz accused of running away from Pennsylvania voters in campaign video
“We are potential Dr Oz voters, you are ignoring us” John Bowden 22 August 2022 20:11
