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https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/10/13/supreme-court-rules-against-trump-on-mar-a-lago-classified-documents/
The Supreme Court ruled against former President Donald Trump Thursday, refusing to grant his request that a third-party special master be allowed to review classified materials found at Mar-A-Lago, which ensures Trump won’t be able to shield any classified documents from the DOJ and its criminal investigation by claiming they’re privileged.
Trump’s attorneys argued in their filing to the Supreme Court, as they had to lower courts, that the DOJ cannot necessarily claim that seized documents labeled classified actually are, because Trump could have declassified them while in office. Though Trump has claimed to have declassified documents that were taken back to Mar-A-Lago, his attorneys have so far never actually said he did in court. Instead, they told Dearie they cannot give details now on any declassified documents because it could hurt their criminal defense if Trump gets indicted. Dearie and the 11th Circuit have both so far been skeptical of the Trump attorneys’ arguments, with Dearie saying the former president’s team can’t “have your cake and eat it” by using declassification as a defense but not actually saying whether Trump actually took that step. The Supreme Court’s order Thursday did not comment at all on the documents and whether or not they’re classified.
The Supreme Court ruled against former President Donald Trump Thursday, refusing to grant his request that a third-party special master be allowed to review classified materials found at Mar-A-Lago, which ensures Trump won’t be able to shield any classified documents from the DOJ and its criminal investigation by claiming they’re privileged.
Trump’s attorneys argued in their filing to the Supreme Court, as they had to lower courts, that the DOJ cannot necessarily claim that seized documents labeled classified actually are, because Trump could have declassified them while in office. Though Trump has claimed to have declassified documents that were taken back to Mar-A-Lago, his attorneys have so far never actually said he did in court. Instead, they told Dearie they cannot give details now on any declassified documents because it could hurt their criminal defense if Trump gets indicted. Dearie and the 11th Circuit have both so far been skeptical of the Trump attorneys’ arguments, with Dearie saying the former president’s team can’t “have your cake and eat it” by using declassification as a defense but not actually saying whether Trump actually took that step. The Supreme Court’s order Thursday did not comment at all on the documents and whether or not they’re classified.
