A federal judge has just handed President Donald Trump a huge win over Joe Biden’s Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland by ordering a special master to review documents seized by the FBI.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved the request by Trump’s legal team and issued a preliminary order intending to appoint a special master to review the documents seized during the FBI’s search of the 45th president’s Mar-a-Lago home.
NEWS: Judge Cannon has indicated she preliminarily plans to appoint a special master in response to Trump’s lawsuit. She has scheduled a Sept. 1 hearing on the matter with briefs beforehand. https://t.co/FVePxYP1Zb pic.twitter.com/xY1s2Dvgmf
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 27, 2022
The Trump-appointed judge wrote: “THIS CAUSE comes before the Court upon Plaintiff’s Motion for Judicial Oversight and Additional Relief [ECF No. 1] and Supplemental Filing [ECF No. 28].
“Upon review of Plaintiff’s submissions and the exceptional circumstances presented, and subject to an opportunity to be heard as indicated below, it is ORDERED AND ADJUDGED as follows:
“Pursuant to Rule 53(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Court’s inherent authority, and without prejudice to the parties’ objections, the Court hereby provides notice of its preliminary intent to appoint a special master in this case.
“A hearing on the Motion is scheduled for September 1, 2022, at 1:00 p.m.
“The hearing shall be conducted at the Paul G. Rogers U.S. Courthouse, 701 Clematis Street, Courtroom 1, West Palm Beach Florida, Florida 33401.
“The parties shall adhere to the following instructions:
“On or before August 30, 2022, Defendant shall publicly file a Response to the Motion and Supplement, including Plaintiff’s request for the appointment of a special master.
“In addition to the Response, on or before August 30, 2022, Defendant shall file under seal the following materials:
“A more detailed Receipt for Property specifying all property seized pursuant to the search warrant executed on August 8, 2022.
“A particularized notice indicating the status of Defendant’s review of the seized property, including any filter review conducted by the privilege review team and any dissemination of materials beyond the privilege review team.
“Plaintiff shall file a Reply to Defendant’s Response on or before August 31, 2022, at 8:00 p.m.
“In accordance with Rule 53, the parties are advised to include in their filings their respective and particularized positions on the duties and responsibilities of a prospective special master, along with any other considerations pertinent to the appointment of a special master in this case.
“This Order should not be construed as a final determination on Plaintiff’s Motion. DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Fort Pierce, Florida this 27th day of August 2022,” the order said.
Pretty swift condemnation from legal Twitter. A sample of QTs and RTs pic.twitter.com/7rME1ZvaLO
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) August 27, 2022
