WASHINGTON — The special master picked to review more than 11,000 records removed by the FBI from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last month has set out his plan of action, with a tight schedule and the intention of wrapping up the record review in late October.
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit stayed a lower court decision to have special master Raymond Dearie evaluate about 100 classified records, which prevented the Justice Department from using the records as part of their criminal investigation while the review took place.
With that resolved, Dearie, the former chief judge of the federal court in Brooklyn, has set a breakneck schedule to review and segregate any documents taken by the FBI during the court-approved Aug. 8 search of Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, home that may be covered by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege, and to determine whether any of the materials should be returned to Trump. Once the review is complete, Dearie will produce a report of his recommendations to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
