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Judge Grants Trump's Petition, Bars Prosecutors From Using "Key Pieces of Evidence"

Judge Grants Trump's Petition, Bars Prosecutors From Using "Key Pieces of Evidence"

A judge has granted Donald Trump's legal petition for a special master to review documents that were seized during the Mar-a-Lago raid, effectively barring "key pieces of evidence" from being used by federal prosecutors. 

Details come via a New York Times report that notes:

The judge, Aileen M. Cannon of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida, also temporarily barred the Justice Department from using the seized materials for any “investigative purpose” connected to its inquiry of Mr. Trump until the work of the arbiter, known as a special master, was completed.

The article goes on to note that this, at least for now, prevents the prosecution team from using the aforementioned "key pieces of evidence" as they continue investigating whether the former President of the United States "illegally retained national defense documents at his estate...or obstructed the government’s repeated efforts to get them back."

While this might seem like it turns the tide Trump's favor, the Associated Press shared a statement from David Weinstein, a Florida criminal defense lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor, who said,  “While this is a victory for the former President, it is by no means an overwhelming win for him. While it is a setback for the government, it is also not a devastating loss for them.”

Judge Cannon's ruling comes on the heels of the release of a 36-page Department of Justice report relating to the now-infamous August 8 FBI raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. In the document, the DoJ confirms that Trump "likely obstructed" a government investigation with intent.

Following the release of the report, Trump retained former Florida solicitor Chris Kise, who has close ties to both Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Senator Rick Scott (R).

Previously, the Washington Post reported that the FBI executed its search warrant after "federal authorities grew increasingly concerned that Trump or his lawyers and aides had not, in fact, returned all the documents and other material that were government property, according to people familiar with the discussions."

Trump -- a divisive figure even before the now-infamous January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol -- has unsurprisingly weighed in, indicating that he hopes the Bureau didn't "plant evidence" during their search.

The former host of The Apprentice is also facing additional legal problems, as he has officially appealed a recent ruling that he must hand over his personal tax records to the IRS. 

Earlier this month, the Washington DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the United States House of Representatives can obtain Trump's tax records from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Furthermore, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pled guilty to multiple tax crimes -- unrelated to the government investigation -- in New York City on Thursday, August 18. As part of his plea deal, the 75-year-old is expected to serve a five-month sentence at the infamous Rikers Island complex.

What do you think about the latest ruling in the Trump investigation?

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Rebekah Barton

Rebekah Barton

Rebekah's search engine optimization career began completely by accident as a college student. Over the course of her career so far, she has "grown up" with the SEO industry, from writing content while juggling classes to managing her own teams of writers and overseeing SEO strategy in subsequent roles. She is excited to bring her passion for high-quality content to CountingWorks, Inc.

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