Former President Donald Trump asked a federal judge on Monday to appoint a special watchdog to review documents seized from his Florida home earlier this month as part of a criminal investigation into records removed from the White House.
Trump’s lawsuit, which claims the Aug. 8 FBI raid was politically motivated, also asks the judge to prevent the Department of Justice from conducting “further review of seized materials” from his Mar-a-Lago residence until a so-called special master is appointed to review those documents.
In criminal cases, special masters are appointed when there is a concern that some material seized by authorities should not be viewed by investigators due to attorney-client privilege or other factors.
Trump’s lawsuit claims that the federal government violated his Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.
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“Law enforcement serves as a shield to protect Americans.” It cannot be used as a political weapon,” states the complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
“As a result, in the aftermath of an unprecedented and unnecessary raid on President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, we seek judicial assistance.” According to the lawsuit, Trump “is the clear frontrunner” in both the Republican presidential primary and general election in 2024, “should he decide to run.”
“Politics must not be allowed to interfere with the administration of justice,” the suit states. It also claims that the government informed Trump’s counsel that the items seized included “privileged and/or potentially privileged documents.” However, the government has “refused to provide any information regarding the nature of these documents,” according to the complaint.
