Sep 20, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Special master presses Trump team for evidence that he declassified records

Erin Doherty

The legal team of former US President Donald Trump. — The legal team of former President Trump, led by M. Evan Corcoran (center), along with Lindsey Halligan (left), James Trusty (back right), and Christ Kise (back) on Sept. 20. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images

Judge Raymond Dearie, the special master hired to review the documents seized by the FBI at former President Trump's Florida residence, on Tuesday pressed the former president's legal team for evidence that he had declassified highly sensitive records, Reuters reports.

Driving the news: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” Dearie said during the first such public hearing, Politico reports.

Trump has said that he declassified the records, but his lawyers have not backed that sentiment in court filings.

The big picture: The hearing comes hours after Trump on Tuesday filed a response to the Department of Justice's attempt to stay parts of a federal judge's ruling that paused its review of documents marked as classified that were seized at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump's legal team in the filing argued that the DOJ has not proved that the documents it says are classified, "are, in fact, classified and their segregation is inviolable," per the 40-page filing.

What to watch: Dearie has until Nov. 30 to complete his review of materials seized from Trump's Florida residence, a timeline that could change subject to his own proposals.

Go deeper... Scoop: Team Trump sees special master as deep FBI skeptic

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Special master presses Trump team for evidence that he declassified records

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