The lawyers of former President Donald Trump have filed a motion in a Florida district court demanding the Department of Justice stop reviewing documents seized during the Aug. 8 search at his Mar-a-Lago resort, the former president announced via a post on Truth Social.
Three demands: Trump’s statement alleges federal agents took “documents covered by attorney-client and executive privilege” and claims all files were previously “declassified.” The warrant and a property receipt for the search were unsealed on Aug. 12, revealing the FBI was searching for evidence of possible violations of the Espionage Act.
The motion also outlines three demands:
- First, a freeze to the DOJ’s review of documents seized at Mar-a-Lago.
- Second, the appointment of a special master to oversee the document review process.
- Third, the release of a “real” property receipt — a list of items seized during the search — without “plants” and the return of all property taken.
Special master: Trump’s request to appoint a “special master” has puzzled many Americans. It seems Trump is referring to a court-appointed attorney assigned tasks on behalf of the court.
- Though not commonly known, special masters often aid courts with specific needs, according to LII, a Cornell Law School-based nonprofit that promotes access to legal information. These tasks can range from facilitating child custody cases to advising judges about technicalities in a case and even helping Congress disburse compensation for victims of 9/11.
- There is a distinction between regular masters and “special” masters. The first’s role is primarily investigative, while the second can be assigned a variety of tasks. Special master, however, has become the predominantly used term.
Keywords: “We are taking all necessary actions to get the documents back … so that I can give them to the National Archives until they are required for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum,” said Trump’s statement.