Donald Trump appeals to suspend inspection of documents seized by FBI at his home

On Monday, August 22, Donald Trump asked a federal court to temporarily block the FBI from examining documents recently seized from his home in Mar-a-Lago (Florida) until an independent expert is appointed to oversee the process.

In an appeal filed by his lawyers in a federal court in Florida, the former US president is asking the Justice Department to provide more detailed information. The documents were seized by FBI investigators on Monday, August 8.

In total, the US government has reportedly recovered more than 300 documents marked “classified” from Donald Trump’s Florida home, including content from the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency. reported on Monday The New York TimesCiting sources familiar with the matter.

According to the newspaper, the first batch of more than 150 classified documents was recovered by the National Archives Service in January, before Donald Trump’s advisers provided the second batch of documents to the Justice Department in June. Finally, during a spectacular raid in August, a third set of documents was seized by the FBI.

“Shock Aggression”

Federal investigators suspect the former White House tenant violated the US Espionage Act, which strictly regulates the possession of classified documents related to national security, by illegally carrying the files until the end of his mandate in January 2021.

“The government has long treated President Donald Trump unfairly.”Writing in a court document on Monday, his lawyers confirmed that he “The 2024 Republican primary’s preference is clear” As well as the presidential election itself “If you decide to stop being a candidate”.

“Law enforcement is a bulwark that protects America. It cannot be used as a weapon for political ends.Is it asserted in this appeal worthy of search? “A shocking attempt at aggression”.

“Therefore, we seek legal recourse following the unprecedented and unnecessary ordeal “, adds the request. Sure, Donald Trump’s attorneys are specifically asking for an expert unrelated to the case to be appointed to examine the recovered files in Florida and set aside those under executive privilege — a policy that allows presidents to withhold public disclosure. Certain communications.

The expert role was filled by the retired judge in some other high-profile cases, including investigations involving Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen, two of Trump’s personal lawyers.

Judge appointed by Trump

The search, unprecedented for a former head of state, “It is illegal and unconstitutional and we are doing everything we can to recover the documents.”The Republican billionaire said in a statement, it says “All documents are classified”. The Justice Department responded in a scathing three-sentence statement that the search had been authorized by a federal judge.

The appeal, filed Monday, was assigned to Judge Eileen Cannon, who was appointed by Donald Trump in 2020 and confirmed by the Senate the same year.

Donald Trump is also the target of investigations into his efforts to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election and his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by his supporters. He is also suspected of tax evasion. But no case has been filed against him yet.