The United States Department of Justice wants to appeal through an appeal for the FBI’s investigation into secret documents found during a search of former President Donald Trump’s home to resume.
The FBI found more than 11,000 government documents in early August during a search of Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The ministry is investigating, among other things, whether confidential documents have been hidden and whether attempts have been made to thwart a federal investigation.
Earlier this week, an independent arbitrator was appointed by a judge at Trump’s request. This special master will examine the material found during the searches.
According to the former president, the FBI investigation is politically motivated and an independent party is needed to examine the documents more closely.
The judge who appointed the arbitrator ruled that the FBI should not immediately continue the investigation of confidential documents. The Department of Justice had asked for it, after Trump had just urged the judge to suspend the criminal investigation while waiting for an arbitrator.
The judiciary is now trying to gain access to around 100 seized files containing confidential information through the appeal.
Fierce resistance from the Ministry of Justice
The Justice Department previously vehemently opposed Trump’s request for an independent arbitrator. That arbiter, former judge Raymond Dearie, has been empowered to withhold documents found by the government due to, for example, the so-called executive privilege, or executive privilege.
That privilege is a legal doctrine that protects some communications from the White House. The Department believes that Trump cannot claim executive privilege because the documents are not his; they are owned by the government.
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