JUDGES on an Atlanta-based federal appeals court signaled sympathy on Tuesday toward the U.S. Justice Department's bid to reverse the appointment of an independent arbiter to vet documents seized by the FBI from Donald Trump's Florida home as they posed tough questions to the former president's lawyer.
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the department's challenge to a judge's September appointment of a "special master" to review the documents and consider whether some should be walled off from an ongoing criminal investigation. The department is also seeking immediate access to all of the seized documents.
It was one of a series of legal woes that Trump faced on Tuesday, a week after launching a fresh run for the White House, including the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for a Democratic-led congressional committee to get access to his tax returns.
Trump lawyer James Trusty told the judges in Atlanta that Trump's status as a former president made the documents dispute an unusual case that required a special master's review.
But 11th Circuit Chief Judge William Pryor repeatedly questioned whether allowing a court to step into the criminal investigation now, before any indictment has been made, would create a bad precedent that would harm other investigations.
Pryor also questioned whether Trump's lawyers had shown any evidence of unlawful activity related to the document seizures.
"If you can't establish that, then what are we doing here?" Pryor asked.
Trusty acknowledged that the search of Trump's property was not handled any differently than a typical criminal investigation, except for Trump being a former president.
Justice Department lawyer Sopan Joshi told the court that the department could find no other instance in which a judge exercised jurisdiction and effectively paused an ongoing criminal investigation when there was no evidence of an illegal search by the government.
FBI agents seized about 11,000 records, including about 100 marked as classified, during the Aug. 8 court-approved search at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach as part of a criminal investigation into his possession of government documents after leaving office last year. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland last Friday named a special counsel, Jack Smith, to take over that investigation three days after Trump announced a 2024 presidential run.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon named Raymond Dearie, who also is a federal judge, to serve as special master. At issue in Dearie's vetting process is be whether any of the documents are protected by a legal doctrine called executive privilege that enables presidents to withhold certain forms of confidential communications, and whether any of them qualify as "personal" records that also should be kept from investigators.
In another development on Tuesday, Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham testified before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating whether Trump and his allies attempted to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results. President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Georgia.
"Senator Graham appeared before the Fulton County Special Grand Jury for just over two hours and answered all questions," the senator's office said in a statement.
Also on Tuesday, Trump's lawyers asked Cannon to unseal the complete version of the affidavit that the FBI used to obtain a warrant before conducting the search. A redacted version of the affidavit was made public in August after media organizations sought its release, with sections blacked out that prosecutors said should remain secret.
The Justice Department said the redactions included information from "a broad range of civilian witnesses" as well as investigative techniques that, if disclosed, could reveal how to obstruct the investigation.
Trump's lawyers told Cannon that he must be able to review the full affidavit to determine whether the department violated the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures.
Regarding the documents, the department has said Trump has not provided evidence that the seized documents are "personal" and that as a former president he cannot invoke executive privilege to shield records belonging to the current executive branch.
Cannon, who was appointed to her judgeship by Trump, also blocked investigators from reviewing all of the seized documents until Dearie concludes his work. Federal prosecutors have argued that Cannon's rulings are hindering the investigation.
The 11th Circuit has ruled in favor of the Justice Department once before in the investigation, deciding in September that prosecutors can have access to the documents marked as classified. Judges Britt Grant and Andrew Basher, both Trump appointees, took part in that ruling and were on the three-judge panel on Tuesday.
Dearie's review of the papers has continued while his appointment is being litigated.
Reuters
Wed Nov 23 2022
![US appeals court grills Trump lawyer in seized documents dispute US appeals court grills Trump lawyer in seized documents dispute](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-02/81613253708_Trump.jpg)
Trump lawyer James Trusty told the judges in Atlanta that Trump's status as a former president made the documents dispute an unusual case that required a special master's review. - AP/Filepic
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/71709993909_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/41713876066_TBringgitmalaysia.jpg)
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar US pada penutup
Pada 6 petang, ringgit susut lagi kepada 4.6745/6790 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.6725/6745 semasa ditutup semalam.
![Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721113188_DonaldTrump.jpg)
Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh
Donald Trump menghadiri Konvensyen Kebangsaan Republikan pada malam Isnin, penampilan umum pertamanya sejak terselamat daripada cubaan bunuh.
![Trump umum Senator JD Vance sebagai calon Naib Presidennya Trump umum Senator JD Vance sebagai calon Naib Presidennya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721107129_DonaldTrumpJDV.jpg)
Trump umum Senator JD Vance sebagai calon Naib Presidennya
Bekas Presiden Amerika Syarikat Donald Trump mengumumkan Senator Ohio JD Vance akan menjadi calon Naib Presidennya dalam pilihan raya 2024.
![Tiada tempat untuk keganasan politik dalam demokrasi AS - Obama Tiada tempat untuk keganasan politik dalam demokrasi AS - Obama](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721093818_JoeBiden.jpg)
Tiada tempat untuk keganasan politik dalam demokrasi AS - Obama
Kenyataan Obama mengundang kecaman warganet terutamanya istilah 'keganasan politik' yang dikatakan menunjukkan sisi hipokrasi Washington.
![Mahkamah AS tolak pertuduhan tambahan dalam kes dokumen sulit Trump Mahkamah AS tolak pertuduhan tambahan dalam kes dokumen sulit Trump](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721080824_chargingdocument.jpg)
Mahkamah AS tolak pertuduhan tambahan dalam kes dokumen sulit Trump
Permohonan Trump untuk menolak pertuduhan berdasarkan pelantikan dan pembiayaan tidak sah 'Special Counsel' Jack Smith diluluskan.
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/61702135893_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![Sokongan belian asing dorong Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi Sokongan belian asing dorong Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/61714480297_tbbursamalaysialog.jpg)
Sokongan belian asing dorong Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi
Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi pada hari dagangan pertama minggu ini berikutan sokongan belian asing yang berterusan, dalam keadaan prestasi pasaran serantau yang bercampur-campur.
![Biden seru redakan retorik politik di AS selepas cubaan bunuh Trump Biden seru redakan retorik politik di AS selepas cubaan bunuh Trump](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721019915_JoeBiden.jpg)
Biden seru redakan retorik politik di AS selepas cubaan bunuh Trump
Sudah tiba masanya untuk meredakan retorik politik di Amerika Syarikat (AS), kata Presiden Joe Biden semasa ucapan mengenai cubaan membunuh bekas Presiden Donald Trump.
![Bahan letupan ditemukan dalam kereta suspek penembak Trump - Laporan Bahan letupan ditemukan dalam kereta suspek penembak Trump - Laporan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721018676_ThomasMatthewCroo.jpg)
Bahan letupan ditemukan dalam kereta suspek penembak Trump - Laporan
Pihak berkuasa menemukan bahan letupan dalam kereta yang dipandu lelaki berusia 20 tahun yang didakwa cuba membunuh bekas Presiden Donald Trump semasa perhimpunan kempennya di Pennsylvania.