Both sides submitted a list of special-master candidates heavy on retired judges. The new filing also points to ongoing conflicts in the case.
Lawyers for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and former President Donald Trump have submitted their recommendations for a special master to oversee the review of documents seized from Trump’s southern Florida home last month.
Each side’s picks for the position were laid out Friday in an eight-page filing in the southern Florida-based U.S. District Court. Judge Aileen Cannon this week agreed to a request from Trump’s lawyers to appoint a special master to sort through government documents seized by federal agents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The DOJ has resisted appointing a special master and the filing reveals ongoing disagreements between the two sides.
Trump’s legal team is asking that the special master review all seized materials while not requiring them to consult with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
„The Government’s position is that the Special Master should not review documents with classification markings; should not adjudicate claims of Executive Privilege (but should submit to NARA any documents over which such claims are made); and should consult with NARA on the determination of Presidential records,“ reads the filing.
DOJ lawyers have argued that appointing a special master to ensure Trump’s personal and privileged documents are protected is unnecessary and not supported by law. This week, the DOJ signaled it was appealing the appointment of the special master and asked the judge to effectively allow investigators to continuing reviewing seized documents marked classified as part of its investigation.
