Top secret files kept in Florida: Trump obtains that an independent observer be appointed

A rest.

A federal judge agreed on Monday to appoint a special observer to examine documents seized by the FBI during its search of former President Donald Trump's Florida property in early August, a decision that could delay the criminal investigation of the Ministry of Justice.

Angered that the FBI had obtained a warrant to search his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump sued the Justice Department and demanded that an independent third party be appointed to review the boxes of documents seized.

Judge Aileen Cannon of the District of West Palm Beach, Florida, granted his request, stating that this person will be responsible for reviewing documents that are not only covered by attorney-client privilege, but also all documents likely to be covered by executive privilege, a sort of state secrecy right that Trump feels must cover his entire term and its aftermath, including the storming of the Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.

By making this clarification, the judge, appointed by Donald Trump, opens the way to a potential other legal battle, the doctrine of executive privilege remaining, to this day, incomplete legal territory.

So she gives him time.

Especially since the magistrate also ordered the Ministry of Justice to stop examining the documents seized as part of its criminal investigation, which risks hampering, at least temporarily, its ability to continue its investigations.

Thirty boxes carried away on August 9

Her decision, she wrote in her order, will not result in “undue delay in the present circumstances.”

On the other hand, any future indictment of Donald Trump based on the FBI seizure would cause "reputational damage" to the conservative mogul, who intends to shake up the midterm elections in November, and establish his domination over the Republican camp. .

The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the transfer of government documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago when Donald Trump left office in January 2021. By law, these documents should have been turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration at the end of Trump's term.

They had claimed their due.

Last February, after a year of fighting, the Archives recovered fifteen boxes of documents, which contained, in the middle of various documents, notes, photos, 184 classified documents containing for some the name or information on spies working at overseas for the United States.

On the basis of these findings, the FBI obtained the right to search the residence of the former president, unheard of.

On August 9, around thirty boxes were taken away.

VIDEO.

“They even searched my safe”: the FBI raids the residence of Donald Trump in Florida

More than 10,000 government documents have still been discovered, including more than 100 classified or highly classified.

FBI agents also found 48 files, empty, stamped "classified".

43 were in Trump's office, the other five in containers stored in a storage room.

Investigators also got their hands on 42 other empty files marked "Return to Staff Secretary/Military Aide".

These empty folders could mean that documents have been destroyed, or moved.

No comment from the Trump camp

The judge gave Trump's lawyers and the Justice Department until Friday to jointly file a list of nominees for the special observer position.

Candidates must have the necessary legal expertise and the authorizations to examine files that are sometimes compromising.

Unless the Ministry of Justice appeals this decision.

"The United States is reviewing the notice and will consider appropriate next steps in ongoing litigation," said Anthony Coley, spokesman for the department.

John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser who also previously served as assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's civil division, called the judge's decision "amateurism" and called on the department to " appeal immediately”.

Trump's representatives did not comment.

However, in a post on his Truth Social platform following the ruling, Trump wrote, "Remember it takes guts and 'guts' to fight a Justice Department and an FBI." totally corrupt”.

And to add, about the 2020 election which he still insists on having won: "now that they have been caught in the act of massive and crucial electoral fraud, will they change the results of the election 2020 presidential?

They should ".