The special master overseeing the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation has ordered former President Donald Trump's lawyers to back up out-of-court assertions that the FBI may have planted evidence at the property during their search last month.
quote:
Dearie opened the door in a Thursday order to holding a hearing where "witnesses with knowledge of the relevant facts" could be called to testify about the Mar-a-Lago search and the materials that were seized.
If this happens, it could become a put-up-or-shut-up moment for the Trump side, which has made a wide array of statements about alleged government improprieties out of court, but has been much more restrained in court, where it would be a crime to knowingly lie.
The Justice Department also is required to provide Trump's lawyers with "copies of all seized materials" -- except those marked classified -- by Monday. This is needed so Trumps' side can figure out exactly what was taken from Mar-a-Lago and determine which materials they believe should be shielded under attorney-client or executive privilege.
But these documents were declassified. Or are you not familiar with the “Secret Telepathic Unilateral Preemptive Irreversible Declassification (S.T.U.P.I.D.)’ defense.
Originally posted by Doug: But these documents were declassified. Or are you not familiar with the “Secret Telepathic Unilateral Preemptive Irreversible Declassification (S.T.U.P.I.D.)’ defense.
Yes, I stole this, but I like it.
I like that. It is funny. Why am I not laughing?
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Dearie encouraged Trump’s lawyers to elaborate on why they believed the documents could be excluded from the justice department’s criminal investigation into the potential willful retention of national defense information, removal of government records and obstruction of justice.
“It’s a little perplexing as I go through the log,” Dearie said. “What’s the expression – ‘Where’s the beef?’ I need some beef.”
quote:
On the call, Dearie specifically asked Trump’s lawyers to give him a better sense of how one document, for instance, could both be subject to executive privilege – a designation applying to presidential records – and simultaneously be a non-governmental, personal document.
“Unless I’m wrong, and I’ve been wrong before, there’s certainly an incongruity there,” Dearie said, appearing to cast doubt on the notion that a document could carry both characterizations.
A federal appeals court overturned a judge’s decision to appoint a special watchdog to review documents seized by the FBI from the Florida residence of former President Donald Trump in August as part of a criminal investigation.
The Department of Justice had objected to the appointment of that watchdog, known as a special master.
“The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant,” judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit said in the ruling.
Trump is being investigated by the department for his removal of government documents from the White House and their shipment to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.
