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Showing Original Post only (View all)Dearie asks Trump lawyers whether they believe FBI lied about seized documents [View all]
Source: Washington Post
The Mar-a-Lago special master on Thursday ordered Donald Trumps lawyers to state in a court filing whether they believe FBI agents lied about documents seized from the former presidents Florida residence in a court-authorized search last month, or claimed to have taken items that were not actually in Trumps possession.
In a Thursday afternoon filing, U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie the special master told Trumps legal team to state by Sept. 30 whether they believe any of the seized items were incorrectly described in the Justice Departments 11-page inventory list, which said some of the documents were highly classified. Dearie also told them to say whether they are claiming that any items on the inventory list were not in fact taken from the premises. Trump has said on social media and in television interviews that the FBI planted items and described as classified documents that he had declassified when they searched his Mar-A-Lago residence and private club on Aug. 8.
His lawyers have not asserted that in court, however, instead saying they have not reviewed the seized materials and are unable to confirm whether the governments inventory list is accurate. Dearies order marks the first time that a courts has demanded that Trumps lawyers back up his claims. The submission shall be Plaintiffs final opportunity to raise any factual dispute as to completeness and accuracy of the Detailed Property Inventory, he wrote. Its a striking difference from how Judge Aileen Cannon the Florida-based judge who granted Trumps request to appoint a special master earlier this month has handled her part of the case.
Cannon never asked Trumps lawyers to explain why they thought the inventory list may be inaccurate or why they implied that some of the documents that were labeled as classified were not actually classified. Dearie gave the government which is investigating the potential mishandling of classified information at Mar-a-Lago until Monday to submit a statement declaring whether its inventory list is a full and accurate representation of what was seized. The government must also later respond to any factual disputes that Trumps team raises in its filings.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/22/dearie-trump-order-declassify/
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