Attorney for Donald Trump are suing the federal government in an effort to have a judge block the Dept. of Justice from reviewing the contents of the cartons removed from Mar-a-Lago two weeks ago, and appoint a “special master” to review those documents.
Legal exerts, including George Conway, who Trump had considered appointing as U.S. Solicitor General, have repeatedly called the confidential documents the FBI found at Mar-a-Lago “stolen.”
CNBC reports that “Trump’s lawsuit also asks the judge to block the Department of Justice from ‘further review of seized materials’ from his Mar-a-Lago residence until the so-called special master is appointed to review those documents,”
The 27-page motion very clearly reads as if Trump had a great deal of input in drafting it, which others have also noted.
That motion also asks the judge to order DOJ to return to Trump property his attorneys claim is “outside the reach of an already overly broad warrant.”
At one point it says Trump “asked the government the questions that any American citizen would ask under the circumstances,” including: “Why raid my home with a platoon of federal agents when I have voluntarily cooperated with your every request?” which according to multiple reports is false. Trump reportedly refused to comply with a grand jury subpoena seeking return of the documents and other items that are federal government property.
The court filing also admits, as has been previously reported, that Trump was served a grand jury subpoena in May.
The motion, in typical Trump fashion, says: Trump “voluntarily accepted service of a grand jury subpoena.” The word “voluntarily” is italicized in the document.
The document later says in June, “Jay Bratt, Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the DOJ’s National Security Division, came to Mar-a-Lago, accompanied by three FBI agents. President Trump greeted them in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago. There were two other attendees: the person designated as the custodian of records for the Office of Donald J. Trump, and counsel for President Trump. Before leaving the group, President Trump’s last words to Mr. Bratt and the FBI agents were as follows: ‘Whatever you need, just let us know.’ Responsive documents were provided to the FBI agents. Mr. Bratt asked to inspect a storage room. Counsel for President Trump advised the group that President Trump had authorized him to take the group to that room. The group proceeded to the storage room, escorted by two Secret Service agents. The storage room contained boxes, many containing the clothing and personal items of President Trump and the First Lady. When their inspection was completed, the group left the area.”
“Once back in the dining room, one of the FBI agents said, ‘Thank you. You did not need to show us the storage room, but we appreciate it. Now it all makes sense.'”
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