Former President Donald Trump on Monday filed a lawsuit seeking a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago home, Politico reports.
Trump’s legal team asked a judge in Florida to appoint an independent third party to review the documents seized two weeks earlier, arguing that some may be covered by attorney-client privilege or some other legal doctrine.
The lawsuit asked the court to block the FBI from reviewing the seized materials until they are reviewed.
The FBI has had a “filter team” reviewing the documents for weeks.
Lawsuit:
The lawsuit argues that the raid was politically motivated because Trump is the “clear frontrunner” in the 2024 election.
The lawsuit argues that the FBI violated Trump’s Fourth Amendment rights, which prohibit unwarranted search and seizure.
“The Aug. 8 search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was authorized by a federal court upon the required finding of probable cause,” Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement. “The Department is aware of this evening’s motion. The United States will file its response in court.”
Trump statement:
“We are now demanding that the Department of ‘Justice’ be instructed to immediately STOP the review of documents illegally seized from my home. ALL documents have been previously declassified,” Trump said in a statement on Monday.
"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, so that I can give them to the National Archives until they are required for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum," Trump said.
