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A detailed inventory of material seized by federal agents at a residence linked to former President Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago is set to be disclosed. The items, collected after his departure from the White House, may reveal more about what was moved to Florida. A federal judge, Aileen Cannon, approved a plan on a Thursday hearing to have a special expert review the documents as part of the ongoing inquiry.
During the session, the judge did not issue a ruling but indicated a written decision would come at a later time. Throughout the proceedings, he signaled openness to granting the request while leaving room for further considerations. At one point, the government questioned the potential impact of a decision on the case and its procedural consequences.
The magistrate also noted the possibility of allowing continued review by intelligence officials independent of the FBI or the Justice Department, while the gatekeeping on the review would remain a subject of careful determination.
The legal team for the government repeatedly urged Cannon to keep the proceedings focused on the authority backing the search. They described the evidence as aligning with multiple federal statutes, including provisions connected to the handling of classified information and related security obligations.
Trump’s defense contended that the matter involves irregularities underscoring the defense position that the former president had left behind materials that may have included documents of varying sensitivity. They drew a comparison to a library book not returned on time to illustrate perceived missteps in the archival process and suggested that the controversy may reflect broader policy disagreements about how presidential records are to be managed. The defense pressed the view that actions connected to the Presidential Archives Act should be understood within the context of negotiations involving the National Archives and Records Administration, framing the dispute as part of a broader legal and historical debate about archival duties.