Straight shooter?
Is this a victory? It’s at least a tactical win for Donald Trump, although he’ll pay for it — literally. Judge Allison Cannon appointed former judge Raymond Dearie as special master in the document dispute between Trump and the Department of Justice, and refused a stay by the latter that would have allowed them to peruse the materials in the meantime:
Cannon then handed Trump the bill:
I don’t think Trump will mind paying this bill. This buys him some time as well as at least an opportunity to make his case about document retention in terms of privilege, at least. That might be a gold mine for Trump if Dearie finds that the material seized by the FBI, especially the unclassified material, falls under attorney-client privilege, and even perhaps if it sets up a court fight over executive privilege.
