Trump's attempt to stop FBI from reviewing Mar-a-Lago docs: 'Politics can't...'

Donald Trump, former US president, has been facing multiple investigations ever since he left office.

Published on: Aug 23, 2022, 08:42:18 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Swati Bhasin

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Donald Trump - whose Mar-a-Lago home in Florida was searched earlier this month by the FBI- has now asked a federal court to stop the probe agency from reviewing the material it recovered. In the court filing, as quoted by news agency Reuters, the former US president has said: “Politics cannot be allowed to impact the administration of justice. Law enforcement - a shield that protects Americans - cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes”.

Former President of the United States Donald Trump (Joe Rondone/AP)

The filing has been submitted in a federal court in Florida’s West Palm Beach. “Therefore, we seek judicial assistance in the aftermath of an unprecedented and unnecessary raid,” Trump’s lawyers have said. Eleven sets of classified files were recovered during the raids, the federal investigation agency of the United States had said amid allegations of mishandling of documents.

Trump has also sought appointment of "neutral third-party attorney" - commonly known as a special master - to review if the seized files are covered by executive privilege.

Trump under scanner

More than 300 documents - marked classified - were recovered from the upscale property, according to a report by the New York Times during the August 8 search. Trump, however, had previously said that all documents had been previously declassified without producing any proof to back his claim.

The Mar-a-Lago search warrant was authorised by a federal court “upon the required finding of probable cause," Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley had previously underlined. The FBI searches were said to be a part of a probe to find out if Trump illegally removed documents when he left the president’s office in January 2021 after losing the election to Joe Biden.

He is facing multiple investigations ever since his term ended last year.

(With inputs from AP, Reuters)

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