A federal judge has granted Donald Trump's request for an independent review of the materials seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago resort in what CNN deems "a significant victory for the former president." Trump's lawyers argued a neutral third-party "special master" was required in the case because of distrust in the Justice Department; "at issue," explains The Washington Post, "is whether [Trump] can block prosecutors from making use of documents he says should be protected by some form of legal privilege."
The decision by District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, also halts the Justice Department from continuing its review of the Mar-a-Lago documents "pending completion of the special master's review or further court order," though federal prosecutors will likely appeal the decision, CNN reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportationCartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
-
Exploring the three great gardens of JapanThe Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
-
El Salvador's CECOT prison becomes Washington's go-to destinationIN THE SPOTLIGHT Republicans and Democrats alike are clamoring for access to the Trump administration's extrajudicial deportation camp — for very different reasons
-
Supreme Court takes up Trump birthright appealSpeed Read The New Jersey Attorney General said a constitutional right like birthright citizenship 'cannot be turned on or off at the whims of a single man'
-
Court slams Trump, senator visits Ábrego GarcíaSpeed Read The case 'should be shocking not only to judges' but all Americans with an 'intuitive sense of liberty'
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tourTalking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contemptSpeed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate runToday's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
-
UK-US trade deal: can Keir Starmer trust Donald Trump?Today's Big Question White House insiders say an agreement is 'two weeks' away but can Britain believe it?
-
A running list of Trump's second-term national security controversiesIn Depth Several scandals surrounding national security have rocked the Trump administration
