After the FBI raided his Florida residence, Donald Trump and his legal team sued the Department of Justice. Alleging “obstruction of justice”, Trump’s team seeks a ‘special master’.
Trump’s legal team filed a lawsuit in the district court of Southern Florida in connection to the FBI’s raid on his home on August 8.
The 27-page document filed by the lawyers called the raid a, “shockingly aggressive move”. Trump’s side has made several requests in the matter, including appointing a neutral third party for the case.
Donald Trump files a lawsuit
What he is describing as a “politically motivated” raid, Donald Trump has moved to court against the DOJ. The lawsuit not only demands certain actions but also makes many claims.
In the suit filed, the team claims that the move was “shockingly aggressive” with “no understanding of the distress that it would cause most Americans”.
“President Donald J Trump is the clear frontrunner in the 2024 Republican Presidential Primary and in the 2024 General Election, should he decide to run”, the document claimed. “Law enforcement is a shield that protects Americans”, it added. “It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes.”
Since the raid, Trump has maintained a stance that the raid was “politically motivated”. The lawsuit echoed his stance as, “simply wanting the camel’s nose under the tent so they could rummage for either politically helpful documents or support efforts to thwart President Donald Trump from running again”.
Demands and claims
Trump’s attorneys demand the appointment of a neutral third party. Also known as a ‘special master’, it is a third-party attorney who is appointed in sensitive cases. A special master ensures that executive documents stay protected from the investigators.
Apart from a special master, the lawsuit has also demanded a detailed list of items seized from the site. It also requests the return of items that do not fall within the scope of the search. In a written statement Trump claimed, “This Mar-a-Lago Break-In, Search, and Seizure was illegal and unconstitutional.”
It also claimed that the raid violated the fourth amendment which protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.
In response to the lawsuit, the DoJ defended the search saying, “The Aug. 8 search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was authorized by a federal court upon the required finding of probable cause. The Department is aware of this evening’s motion. The United States will file its response in court.”
This lawsuit is possibly a response to the FBI’s decision to unseal the search warrant, a few days ago.
Trump also indicated his intention to open up a museum in his name. “And we are taking all actions necessary to get the documents back, which we would have given to them without the necessity of the despicable raid of my home so that I can give them to the National Archives until they are required for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum”, Trump added in his written statement.
FBI’s search at Mar-a-Lago
The FBI raided Donald Trump’s Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago two weeks back. The raid that took place in the search was classified documents that he allegedly took home. The search was part of an investigation to retrieve documents from his term as president. Several sources claim that there was classified information about nuclear weapons and Iran.
In the raid, the FBI seized 11 sets of classified documents. However, Donald Trump maintains that he was cooperating with the White House and the National Archives this whole time.
If proven right, Donald Trump will face legal action under the Presidential Records Act. This might impediment his road towards the presidential elections of 2024
Read more- Trump in trouble: Former president’s Florida mansion raided by the FBI
