In all, the US government has recovered more than 320 classified documents from Mar-a-Lago since January, including more than 100 seized during the August search, according to the DOJ. The filing is in response to Trump’s bid for a “special master” in a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department, weeks after the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation. The judge handling the case, a Trump appointee, said her “preliminary intent” is to bring in a special master. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Here are some key takeaways from the filing, what we learned and where we go from here.
The documents were moved and possibly hidden by investigators
Documents were “likely hidden and removed” from a warehouse in Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation, the Justice Department said in a filing Tuesday.
In addition, the Justice Department said the investigation “cast serious doubt” on claims by his lawyers that there had been a “diligent investigation” to return classified material in response to a grand jury subpoena.
A Trump lawyer signed a statement to the Justice Department in June confirming that all classified material at Mar-a-Lago had been returned.
“That the FBI, in a matter of hours, discovered twice as many redacted documents as the “diligent investigation” that the former President’s counsel and other representatives had weeks to conduct casts serious doubt on the statements made in the June 3 certification. and questions the extent of cooperation in this matter,” the DOJ wrote.
DOJ rejects Trump’s criticisms and lies about FBI probe
The Justice Department filing gave federal investigators a chance to rebut — on the record — many of the claims Trump, his lawyers and political allies have made as they vehemently attack the FBI’s unprecedented search of his residence.
The DOJ wrote that the filing included a “detailed account of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff’s filings.”
The filing cited several examples that refute claims coming from the Trump team about the investigation and what happened before it.
For example, a top Justice Department official maintains that federal investigators were limited in what they could look at when they visited the Mar-a-Lago resort in June — contrary to the Trump team’s narrative of full cooperation.
Trump’s lawyers did not claim the documents were declassified
The DOJ account also undermined claims by Trump and his allies that the former president had declassified the materials in question. “When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former President had declassified the documents or that he had claimed executive privilege,” the filing said. “Instead, counsel handled them in a manner that suggested counsel believed the documents were confidential: the production included a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the document,” prosecutors added.
A picture is worth a thousand words
The final page of the 54-page court filing was a photo showing covers of classified documents strewn across the floor of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago office, including documents with highly sensitive material such as human resources.
The photo drove home the message the Justice Department appeared to be sending Tuesday by presenting its strongest defense yet of the investigation.
The government has seized documents from Mar-a-Lago three times this year: Trump voluntarily turned over 15 boxes to the National Archives in January, Trump’s team turned over some materials under subpoena in June, and FBI agents seized another 33 boxes in during the Mar-a-Lago investigation earlier this month.
Prosecutors said FBI agents discovered more than 100 unique classified documents during the Aug. 8 search at Mar-a-Lago. (Investigators did not disclose how many of those were “top secret.”)
About the passport
Trump attacked the FBI for taking his passports, though they were later returned, claiming they were outside the scope of the warrant and were improperly seized.
But the government claimed the passports were found in an office draw containing classified documents, with government records “combined with other documents”.
“The location of the passports is relevant evidence in an investigation into the unauthorized retention and mismanagement of national defense information; however, the government has decided to return these passports at its discretion,” the DOJ wrote.
A special master would prevent review of national security risks, DOJ says
The Justice Department argued in court filings Tuesday that appointing a special master to review materials taken from Trump’s residence would harm national security, arguing it would delay continued review of documents stored at the Mar-a- Lagos from the intelligence community. “Appointing a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation and — if the special master were tasked with reviewing classified documents — would prevent the Intelligence Community from conducting its ongoing review of the national security risk posed by improper storage of these highly sensitive materials may have caused and from identifying measures to repair or mitigate any damage caused by the improper storage,” the Justice Department attorneys wrote. The department highlighted these risks as it argued that the special master would be “redundant” given that the DOJ’s internal filter team had already completed its work separating potentially privileged documents from the seized material for privileged documents and “its investigative team government has already reviewed all remaining materials, including any potentially subject to executive privilege claims.” “Additionally, the appointment of a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation,” the DOJ argued.
The DOJ filing sets the stage for Trump’s response and Thursday’s hearing
With the revelations from the new filing, Trump is ticking the clock to respond in another court filing on Wednesday and then in court Thursday afternoon. The deadline for Trump to file a written response to the department’s briefing is 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. Then on Thursday, both sides will argue before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, in federal court in West Palm Beach. On Saturday, Cannon indicated she was willing to grant Trump’s request for a special master with the order she gave Saturday to introduce the briefing program. However, he said he had not yet taken a final decision on the matter.
title: “Evidence From The Justice Department S Historic Court Filing On The Mar A Lago Search Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Sylvia Kujawa”
In all, the US government has recovered more than 320 classified documents from Mar-a-Lago since January, including more than 100 seized during the August search, according to the DOJ. The filing is in response to Trump’s bid for a “special master” in a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department, weeks after the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation. The judge handling the case, a Trump appointee, said her “preliminary intent” is to bring in a special master. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Here are some key takeaways from the filing, what we learned and where we go from here.
The documents were moved and possibly hidden by investigators
Documents were “likely hidden and removed” from a warehouse in Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation, the Justice Department said in a filing Tuesday.
In addition, the Justice Department said the investigation “cast serious doubt” on claims by his lawyers that there had been a “diligent investigation” to return classified material in response to a grand jury subpoena.
A Trump lawyer signed a statement to the Justice Department in June confirming that all classified material at Mar-a-Lago had been returned.
“That the FBI, in a matter of hours, discovered twice as many redacted documents as the “diligent investigation” that the former President’s counsel and other representatives had weeks to conduct casts serious doubt on the statements made in the June 3 certification. and questions the extent of cooperation in this matter,” the DOJ wrote.
DOJ rejects Trump’s criticisms and lies about FBI probe
The Justice Department filing gave federal investigators a chance to rebut — on the record — many of the claims Trump, his lawyers and political allies have made as they vehemently attack the FBI’s unprecedented search of his residence.
The DOJ wrote that the filing included a “detailed account of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff’s filings.”
The filing cited several examples that refute claims coming from the Trump team about the investigation and what happened before it.
For example, a top Justice Department official maintains that federal investigators were limited in what they could look at when they visited the Mar-a-Lago resort in June — contrary to the Trump team’s narrative of full cooperation.
Trump’s lawyers did not claim the documents were declassified
The DOJ account also undermined claims by Trump and his allies that the former president had declassified the materials in question. “When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former President had declassified the documents or that he had claimed executive privilege,” the filing said. “Instead, counsel handled them in a manner that suggested counsel believed the documents were confidential: the production included a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the document,” prosecutors added.
A picture is worth a thousand words
The final page of the 54-page court filing was a photo showing covers of classified documents strewn across the floor of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago office, including documents with highly sensitive material such as human resources.
The photo drove home the message the Justice Department appeared to be sending Tuesday by presenting its strongest defense yet of the investigation.
The government has seized documents from Mar-a-Lago three times this year: Trump voluntarily turned over 15 boxes to the National Archives in January, Trump’s team turned over some materials under subpoena in June, and FBI agents seized another 33 boxes in during the Mar-a-Lago investigation earlier this month.
Prosecutors said FBI agents discovered more than 100 unique classified documents during the Aug. 8 search at Mar-a-Lago. (Investigators did not disclose how many of those were “top secret.”)
About the passport
Trump attacked the FBI for taking his passports, though they were later returned, claiming they were outside the scope of the warrant and were improperly seized.
But the government claimed the passports were found in an office draw containing classified documents, with government records “combined with other documents”.
“The location of the passports is relevant evidence in an investigation into the unauthorized retention and mismanagement of national defense information; however, the government has decided to return these passports at its discretion,” the DOJ wrote.
A special master would prevent review of national security risks, DOJ says
The Justice Department argued in court filings Tuesday that appointing a special master to review materials taken from Trump’s residence would harm national security, arguing it would delay continued review of documents stored at the Mar-a- Lagos from the intelligence community. “Appointing a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation and — if the special master were tasked with reviewing classified documents — would prevent the Intelligence Community from conducting its ongoing review of the national security risk posed by improper storage of these highly sensitive materials may have caused and from identifying measures to repair or mitigate any damage caused by the improper storage,” the Justice Department attorneys wrote. The department highlighted these risks as it argued that the special master would be “redundant” given that the DOJ’s internal filter team had already completed its work separating potentially privileged documents from the seized material for privileged documents and “its investigative team government has already reviewed all remaining materials, including any potentially subject to executive privilege claims.” “Additionally, the appointment of a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation,” the DOJ argued.
The DOJ filing sets the stage for Trump’s response and Thursday’s hearing
With the revelations from the new filing, Trump is ticking the clock to respond in another court filing on Wednesday and then in court Thursday afternoon. The deadline for Trump to file a written response to the department’s briefing is 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. Then on Thursday, both sides will argue before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, in federal court in West Palm Beach. On Saturday, Cannon indicated she was willing to grant Trump’s request for a special master with the order she gave Saturday to introduce the briefing program. However, he said he had not yet taken a final decision on the matter.
title: “Evidence From The Justice Department S Historic Court Filing On The Mar A Lago Search Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-24” author: “Herbert Boulds”
In all, the US government has recovered more than 320 classified documents from Mar-a-Lago since January, including more than 100 seized during the August search, according to the DOJ. The filing is in response to Trump’s bid for a “special master” in a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department, weeks after the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation. The judge handling the case, a Trump appointee, said her “preliminary intent” is to bring in a special master. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Here are some key takeaways from the filing, what we learned and where we go from here.
The documents were moved and possibly hidden by investigators
Documents were “likely hidden and removed” from a warehouse in Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation, the Justice Department said in a filing Tuesday.
In addition, the Justice Department said the investigation “cast serious doubt” on claims by his lawyers that there had been a “diligent investigation” to return classified material in response to a grand jury subpoena.
A Trump lawyer signed a statement to the Justice Department in June confirming that all classified material at Mar-a-Lago had been returned.
“That the FBI, in a matter of hours, discovered twice as many redacted documents as the “diligent investigation” that the former President’s counsel and other representatives had weeks to conduct casts serious doubt on the statements made in the June 3 certification. and questions the extent of cooperation in this matter,” the DOJ wrote.
DOJ rejects Trump’s criticisms and lies about FBI probe
The Justice Department filing gave federal investigators a chance to rebut — on the record — many of the claims Trump, his lawyers and political allies have made as they vehemently attack the FBI’s unprecedented search of his residence.
The DOJ wrote that the filing included a “detailed account of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff’s filings.”
The filing cited several examples that refute claims coming from the Trump team about the investigation and what happened before it.
For example, a top Justice Department official maintains that federal investigators were limited in what they could look at when they visited the Mar-a-Lago resort in June — contrary to the Trump team’s narrative of full cooperation.
Trump’s lawyers did not claim the documents were declassified
The DOJ account also undermined claims by Trump and his allies that the former president had declassified the materials in question. “When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former President had declassified the documents or that he had claimed executive privilege,” the filing said. “Instead, counsel handled them in a manner that suggested counsel believed the documents were confidential: the production included a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the document,” prosecutors added.
A picture is worth a thousand words
The final page of the 54-page court filing was a photo showing covers of classified documents strewn across the floor of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago office, including documents with highly sensitive material such as human resources.
The photo drove home the message the Justice Department appeared to be sending Tuesday by presenting its strongest defense yet of the investigation.
The government has seized documents from Mar-a-Lago three times this year: Trump voluntarily turned over 15 boxes to the National Archives in January, Trump’s team turned over some materials under subpoena in June, and FBI agents seized another 33 boxes in during the Mar-a-Lago investigation earlier this month.
Prosecutors said FBI agents discovered more than 100 unique classified documents during the Aug. 8 search at Mar-a-Lago. (Investigators did not disclose how many of those were “top secret.”)
About the passport
Trump attacked the FBI for taking his passports, though they were later returned, claiming they were outside the scope of the warrant and were improperly seized.
But the government claimed the passports were found in an office draw containing classified documents, with government records “combined with other documents”.
“The location of the passports is relevant evidence in an investigation into the unauthorized retention and mismanagement of national defense information; however, the government has decided to return these passports at its discretion,” the DOJ wrote.
A special master would prevent review of national security risks, DOJ says
The Justice Department argued in court filings Tuesday that appointing a special master to review materials taken from Trump’s residence would harm national security, arguing it would delay continued review of documents stored at the Mar-a- Lagos from the intelligence community. “Appointing a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation and — if the special master were tasked with reviewing classified documents — would prevent the Intelligence Community from conducting its ongoing review of the national security risk posed by improper storage of these highly sensitive materials may have caused and from identifying measures to repair or mitigate any damage caused by the improper storage,” the Justice Department attorneys wrote. The department highlighted these risks as it argued that the special master would be “redundant” given that the DOJ’s internal filter team had already completed its work separating potentially privileged documents from the seized material for privileged documents and “its investigative team government has already reviewed all remaining materials, including any potentially subject to executive privilege claims.” “Additionally, the appointment of a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation,” the DOJ argued.
The DOJ filing sets the stage for Trump’s response and Thursday’s hearing
With the revelations from the new filing, Trump is ticking the clock to respond in another court filing on Wednesday and then in court Thursday afternoon. The deadline for Trump to file a written response to the department’s briefing is 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. Then on Thursday, both sides will argue before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, in federal court in West Palm Beach. On Saturday, Cannon indicated she was willing to grant Trump’s request for a special master with the order she gave Saturday to introduce the briefing program. However, he said he had not yet taken a final decision on the matter.
title: “Evidence From The Justice Department S Historic Court Filing On The Mar A Lago Search Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-22” author: “Donna Scheller”
In all, the US government has recovered more than 320 classified documents from Mar-a-Lago since January, including more than 100 seized during the August search, according to the DOJ. The filing is in response to Trump’s bid for a “special master” in a civil lawsuit against the Justice Department, weeks after the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation. The judge handling the case, a Trump appointee, said her “preliminary intent” is to bring in a special master. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Here are some key takeaways from the filing, what we learned and where we go from here.
The documents were moved and possibly hidden by investigators
Documents were “likely hidden and removed” from a warehouse in Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation, the Justice Department said in a filing Tuesday.
In addition, the Justice Department said the investigation “cast serious doubt” on claims by his lawyers that there had been a “diligent investigation” to return classified material in response to a grand jury subpoena.
A Trump lawyer signed a statement to the Justice Department in June confirming that all classified material at Mar-a-Lago had been returned.
“That the FBI, in a matter of hours, discovered twice as many redacted documents as the “diligent investigation” that the former President’s counsel and other representatives had weeks to conduct casts serious doubt on the statements made in the June 3 certification. and questions the extent of cooperation in this matter,” the DOJ wrote.
DOJ rejects Trump’s criticisms and lies about FBI probe
The Justice Department filing gave federal investigators a chance to rebut — on the record — many of the claims Trump, his lawyers and political allies have made as they vehemently attack the FBI’s unprecedented search of his residence.
The DOJ wrote that the filing included a “detailed account of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff’s filings.”
The filing cited several examples that refute claims coming from the Trump team about the investigation and what happened before it.
For example, a top Justice Department official maintains that federal investigators were limited in what they could look at when they visited the Mar-a-Lago resort in June — contrary to the Trump team’s narrative of full cooperation.
Trump’s lawyers did not claim the documents were declassified
The DOJ account also undermined claims by Trump and his allies that the former president had declassified the materials in question. “When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former President had declassified the documents or that he had claimed executive privilege,” the filing said. “Instead, counsel handled them in a manner that suggested counsel believed the documents were confidential: the production included a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the document,” prosecutors added.
A picture is worth a thousand words
The final page of the 54-page court filing was a photo showing covers of classified documents strewn across the floor of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago office, including documents with highly sensitive material such as human resources.
The photo drove home the message the Justice Department appeared to be sending Tuesday by presenting its strongest defense yet of the investigation.
The government has seized documents from Mar-a-Lago three times this year: Trump voluntarily turned over 15 boxes to the National Archives in January, Trump’s team turned over some materials under subpoena in June, and FBI agents seized another 33 boxes in during the Mar-a-Lago investigation earlier this month.
Prosecutors said FBI agents discovered more than 100 unique classified documents during the Aug. 8 search at Mar-a-Lago. (Investigators did not disclose how many of those were “top secret.”)
About the passport
Trump attacked the FBI for taking his passports, though they were later returned, claiming they were outside the scope of the warrant and were improperly seized.
But the government claimed the passports were found in an office draw containing classified documents, with government records “combined with other documents”.
“The location of the passports is relevant evidence in an investigation into the unauthorized retention and mismanagement of national defense information; however, the government has decided to return these passports at its discretion,” the DOJ wrote.
A special master would prevent review of national security risks, DOJ says
The Justice Department argued in court filings Tuesday that appointing a special master to review materials taken from Trump’s residence would harm national security, arguing it would delay continued review of documents stored at the Mar-a- Lagos from the intelligence community. “Appointing a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation and — if the special master were tasked with reviewing classified documents — would prevent the Intelligence Community from conducting its ongoing review of the national security risk posed by improper storage of these highly sensitive materials may have caused and from identifying measures to repair or mitigate any damage caused by the improper storage,” the Justice Department attorneys wrote. The department highlighted these risks as it argued that the special master would be “redundant” given that the DOJ’s internal filter team had already completed its work separating potentially privileged documents from the seized material for privileged documents and “its investigative team government has already reviewed all remaining materials, including any potentially subject to executive privilege claims.” “Additionally, the appointment of a special master would impede the government’s ongoing criminal investigation,” the DOJ argued.
The DOJ filing sets the stage for Trump’s response and Thursday’s hearing
With the revelations from the new filing, Trump is ticking the clock to respond in another court filing on Wednesday and then in court Thursday afternoon. The deadline for Trump to file a written response to the department’s briefing is 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. Then on Thursday, both sides will argue before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, in federal court in West Palm Beach. On Saturday, Cannon indicated she was willing to grant Trump’s request for a special master with the order she gave Saturday to introduce the briefing program. However, he said he had not yet taken a final decision on the matter.
