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,” it further reads.
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)
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
_1661221726871_1661221749749_1661221749749.jpg "Finland prime minister Sanna Marin had hosted a party for her friends at her private residence. Later, the video of the party surfaced on social media. The video shows the Finnish PM partying and seemingly consuming alcohol. She faced severe backlash after the video went viral.")
Finnish PM Sanna Marin drug test negative as Internet divided over party video
Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin has tested negative for a drug test, which she underwent to refute allegations sparked by leaked video footage that showed her dancing and partying with friends at a private residence. The video had drawn reactions from people who backed her as well as slammed the Finnish premier. She added that she felt no need to change her behaviour. In July, Marin attended a popular Finnish rock festival.
-
Putin calls murder of ally’s daughter ‘dastardly crime’, Russia blames Ukraine
Two days after a car bomb attack near the Russian capital of Moscow killed the daughter of nationalist political ideologue Alexander Dugin, Vladimir Putin on Monday called the murder “a dastardly crime”. Darya Dugina’s killing has also prompted accusations from Russia’s Federal Security Service that Ukraine was involved in the murder. Twenty-nine-year-old Darya was killed when a car she was driving exploded near Moscow.
-
Elon Musk subpoenas former Twitter CEO and friend Jack Dorsey
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has subpoenaed his friend and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey as part of an effort to back out of his USD 44 billion agreement to acquire the company Dorsey helped found, according to court documents. Twitter has subpoenaed a host of tech investors and entrepreneurs connected to Musk, including prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and David Sacks, the founding chief operating officer of PayPal. The subpoena was served last week.
-
Pfizer files application for booster against latest variants
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE asked the US to authorize a new Covid booster shot customized against the currently circulating Covid variants as governments race to protect their populations against the ever-mutating virus. In a statement, the companies said they had “rapidly scaled production” for the new booster and would be able to ship doses of the new vaccine “immediately” upon emergency authorization.
-
Anthony Fauci to step down as President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert who became a household name — and the subject of partisan attacks — during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Monday Fauci will depart the federal government in December after more than five decades of service. Fauci, who serves as President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation.