Judge plans to appoint special master in case of search of Trump FBI records – National

A federal judge in Florida on Saturday asked the Justice Department to give her more specific information about the secret records removed from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, saying it was her “provisional intention” to have a special master for the case to appoint.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon’s bilateral order signals her inclination to grant a motion by Trump’s attorneys, who this week asked for the appointment of an independent special foreman to review the Mar-a-Lago records and all that identify may be protected by executive privileges.

The judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday to further discuss the matter. A particular master is often a former judge.

Cannon also ordered the Justice Department to put under seal her more detailed descriptions of the material extracted from Trump’s property. The former president’s lawyers have complained that investigators did not give them enough information about what specific documents were removed when agents executed a search warrant on August 8 to look for classified documents.

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It is unlikely that the appointment of the special master will materially change the direction of the Justice Department’s investigation, although it is possible that an external review of the documents could slow the investigation.