Will a special master slow the Trump investigation?

A judge's order, and the controversy surrounding it, explained

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

A federal judge may have given Donald Trump some breathing room as he dodges an investigation into his post-presidential handling of classified documents. Judge Aileen Cannon — a Trump appointee — on Monday said a special master should review documents seized last month from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI. Cannon also ordered the Justice Department not to use the seized documents for investigative purposes until the special master's work is done.

That could slow down the investigation, but it may have broader implications. "Her ruling seemed to carve out a special exception to the normal legal process for the former president and reject the Justice Department's implicit argument that Mr. Trump be treated like any other investigative subject," The New York Times reports. Why did Cannon agree to the special master? What does it mean for Trump? Here's everything you need to know:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up
Explore More
Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.