Donald Trump asks court for review material taken by FBI

WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump's attorneys have filed a lawsuit in court calling for the appointment of an independent party to review the documents retrieved from his Mar-a-Lago estate by FBI agents earlier this month.

In a statement on Monday, Trump's attorneys said the documents are "presumptively privileged" material because they were generated while he was President, reports dpa news agency.

According to the former President's team, only a "special master" — an independent person appointed by a court to review materials — could determine whether the material is privileged.

They are also asking a federal court to halt the government's review of the documents that were removed from Mar-a-Lago until a special master is appointed, calling the FBI's search of Trump's property a "shockingly aggressive move" against "the clear front-runner in the 2024 Republican Presidential Primary, should he decide to run".

The FBI conducted a surprise raid of the former President's Palm Beach estate on August 8 as part of an investigation into Trump's handling of classified material, including some of the most sensitive files held by the government.

In the fallout, the Justice Department released the warrant that led to the search, which revealed that the department has an ongoing criminal investigation into potential violations of the Espionage Act, illegal destruction of government documents and obstruction of justice.

The search warrant and a receipt of the items that were removed from Trump's property show that FBI agents collected 11 sets of classified materials, including one set that included some of the government's most sensitive secrets. (IANS)

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