PanamaTimes

Saturday, Sep 07, 2024

Bill Barr slams Trump's special master request as 'red herring' as legal battle with DOJ continues

Bill Barr slams Trump's special master request as 'red herring' as legal battle with DOJ continues

Former attorney general criticized Trump for having 'loads of classified information sitting at Mar-a-Lago'

The legal fight between former President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice escalated Friday morning when the DOJ released a detailed inventory of the documents seized in last month's Mar-a-Lago raid.

The inventory list comes following an order from Florida Federal Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who is deciding whether to appoint a "special master" to the case.

On "America Reports" on Friday, former Attorney General Bill Barr criticized Trump's push for a "special master" as a distraction from the details of the case and argued it is not likely to be granted.

"I think the whole idea of a special master is a bit of a red herring," Barr told hosts Sandra Smith and John Roberts. "I think it's a waste of time."

This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Since the raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, the former president has slammed the DOJ for what he argues was a politically motivated witch hunt. Trump recently called for a special master to hold an independent review of the documents.

According to details revealed in the warrant, affidavit and the inventory list, dozens of the documents seized from Trump's property were classified materials. A portion of the items taken were not classified, with several entries labeled "Article of Clothing/Gift Item."

Trump has claimed the documents at his Florida home were documents he had "declassified" prior to leaving office and were protected under executive privilege.

Barr was critical of this argument and highlighted the significance of having classified materials leave the government.

"I can't think of a legitimate reason why they could be taken… away from the government if they're classified," Barr said. "I frankly am skeptical of this claim that ‘I declassified everything,’ because, frankly, I think it's highly improbable… that would be such an abuse, it shows such recklessness that it's almost worse than taking the documents."

Trump's legal team is waiting to hear whether their request for a special master will be granted.

"People say this [raid] was unprecedented, but it's also unprecedented for a president to take all this classified information and put them in a country club," Barr said.

"The facts are starting to show that they [the DOJ] were being jerked around… how long do they wait?"

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
BRAZIL’S SUPREME COURT MINISTER ORDERS EXPLANATION ON X BLOCKING
Porn streamer OnlyFans paid owner $630mn in dividends
Donald Trump will not face sentencing over his 'hush money' conviction before the US presidential election on November 5, after a Manhattan judge granted his request to delay the proceeding
Return of Brazilian Artworks to Bahia
France Pilots Mobile Phone Ban in Schools
WHO-Led Study Finds No Link Between Mobile Phones and Brain Cancer
Kamala Harris is in Detroit and has a new accent again
EU Rejects Maduro’s Election Win Claim in Venezuela
Former Red Brigades Member Arrested in Argentina After 40 Years on Run
Elon Musk Accuses Brazilian Supreme Court Justice of Election Interference
Universe May Have Had a Pre-Big Bang 'Secret Life'
Ecuador's Narco Violence Threatens Scientists and Conservation Efforts
Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes Blocks Elon Musk's X
Nаkеd American woman gropes security
Tsimane Tribe: Secrets to Health and Slow Ageing
OpenAI Blocks Iranian Group's ChatGPT Accounts for Election Interference
WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency Again
Decline in World Records at Paris Olympics: An Analysis
EU Pressures Elon Musk Over Trump Interview
UN Reports Lowest Global Youth Unemployment Rate in 15 Years
Fatal Plane Crash Near Sao Paulo
Snoop Dogg: The Feel-Good Spirit of the Paris Olympics
McDonald's Worker Sets Restaurant On Fire Over Customer Frustration
Kamala Harris Confirmed as Democratic Candidate for US Presidential Election
Controversies at the Paris Olympics
Elon Musk Accepts Fight Challenge from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
First Case of 'Virgin Birth' in Endangered Shark Species in Italy
G20 Fails to Reach Agreement on Global Billionaire Tax
Mexican Drug Lords El Mayo and El Chapo's Son Arrested in Texas
World's Hottest Day Recorded on July 21
Joe Biden Withdraws from 2024 US Presidential Race
A Week of Turmoil: Key Moments in US Politics
Global IT Outage Sparks Major Concerns
Global IT Outage Unveils Digital Vulnerabilities
Secret Service Criticized for Lack of Sniper Protection During Trump Shooting
Colombian Court Annuls Amazon Tribes’ Carbon Credit Deal
Sunita Williams Safe on ISS, to Address Earth on July 10
Biden Affirms Commitment To Presidential Race
Boeing Pleads Guilty Over 737 MAX Crashes
Beryl Storm Hits Texas, Killing 2 and Causing Major Power Outages
2024 Predicted to Be World's Hottest Year
Macron Faces New Political Challenges Despite Election Relief
Florida Man Arrested Over Attempt to Withdraw One Cent
Anger mounts at Biden’s top team after disastrous debate
Bolivian President Luis Arce Denies 'Self-Coup' Allegations
Steve Bannon Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence
Biden Warns of 'Dangerous Precedent' After Supreme Court Immunity Ruling in Trump Case
Elon Musk Accuses Kamala Harris of Misleading Post on Trump's Abortion Stance
Hunter Biden Sues Fox News Over 'Revenge Porn' Allegations
New York Times Editorial Board Urges Biden to Exit Presidential Race
×