Trump Lawyers Against Move to Share Declassification Details of Seized Documents (Newsmax)
By Jeffrey Rodack | Tuesday, 20 September 2022 08:20 AM EDT
Attorneys for former President Donald Trump oppose a move by the special master in the Mar-a-Lago raid case to immediately share declassification details of the documents seized by the FBI.
Axios said a letter by the Trump legal team to Special Master Raymond Dearie noted a draft plan they say "requires that the Plaintiff disclose specific information regarding declassification to the court and to the government."
"We respectfully submit that the time and place for affidavits or declarations would be in connection with Rule 41 motion that specifically alleges declassification as a component of its argument for return of property," the letter said.
"Otherwise, the special master process will have forced the plaintiff to fully and specifically disclose a defense to the merits of any subsequent indictment without such a requirement being evident in the District Court's order.
"In short, the plaintiff has every interest in expeditiously moving forward on the document review, characterizations, and any ensuring litigation."
The Washington Post called the comments by Trump's lawyers "a remarkable statement that acknowledges at least the possibility that the former president or his aides could be criminally charged."
Court filings by Trump's attorneys have suggested the possibility the former president could have declassified the documents seized by the FBI. However, the lawyers have not actually said that he did, the Post said.
Dearie is a former federal prosecutor who served as the chief judge of the federal court based in Brooklyn, according to the Associated Press. His selection as special master in the case came after both the Justice Department and Trump's lawyers indicated that they would be satisfied with his appointment.
Dearie will be responsible for reviewing the documents taken during the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and segregating out any that may be covered by claims of privilege.