Trump files motion seeking special master to review Mar-a-Lago evidence

(Image credit: Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

published 22 August 2022

Former President Donald Trump's lawyers filed a court motion on Monday seeking to temporarily block the FBI from reviewing the classified materials seized from Mar-a-Lago until a special master can be appointed to oversee the examination.

A special master is a third-party attorney. The FBI executed a search warrant two weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's residence and club in Florida, as part of an investigation into Trump's handling of classified federal documents. The Justice Department left with 11 sets of classified material, including some documents marked top secret.

In addition to requesting a special master, the unusual court motion also asks for a more detailed property receipt of the items removed from Mar-a-Lago and return of material outside the scope of the search warrant. "Politics cannot be allowed to impact the administration of justice," the filing states. "Law enforcement is a shield that protects Americans. It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.