Former President Trump filed a lawsuit Monday seeking the appointment of a special master to review the materials seized during the FBI's search of his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Why it matters: The search revealed that Trump had taken classified material from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. He is now asking the federal court to bar the FBI from examining the seized documents until a special master is appointed.
- A special master, usually a third party like a retired judge, would review the material and determine whether it is protected by attorney-client privilege or other legal doctrines.
- Trump is also asking the court to require the government to provide a more detailed inventory of seized materials and return any items that do not fall within the scope of the search warrant.
What they're saying: "To date, the Government has failed to legitimize its historic decision to raid the home of a President who had been fully cooperative," states the complaint, which cited the Fourth Amendment.
- "This Mar-a-Lago Break-In, Search, and Seizure was illegal and unconstitutional, and we are taking all actions necessary to get the documents back, which we would have given to them without the necessity of the despicable raid of my home," Trump claimed in a statement after the lawsuit was filed.
The big picture: The Florida judge who approved the search warrant for the Mar-a-Lago residence has given the Department of Justice until next Thursday to file a redacted version of the affidavit related to the search....