Justice Dept. Says It’s Open to Trump Pick for Special Master
New York TimesDec 24, 2022
DOJ Open to Trump Pick as Special Master
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Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons [via The Daily Mail]
The Facts
In a brief court filing Mon., the U.S. Dept of Justice (DOJ) said it's willing to accept Judge Raymond J. Dearie of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., one of the proposed candidates from former Pres. Trump's legal team, to act as the special master in the review of documents gathered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence by the FBI in August.
Previously, the DOJ and Trump's team, each proposed two candidates to serve as an independent arbiter known as a special master. While the DOJ proposed retired judges, Barbara Jones and Thomas Griffith, Trump's team proposed Florida's former Deputy Attorney General Paul Huck along with Dearie, who formerly served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
The judge's decision to approve Trump's lawyers' request for a 'special master' is absolutely the right move considering the unprecedented nature of the FBI's search of a former president's home. This marks a win for Trump, who is the innocent target of an illegitimate political investigation.
Left narrative
The Trump-appointed judge's biased ruling to permit a 'special master' will not stop the investigation. Cannon cited weak arguments in her decision, which likely means that the DOJ's appeal holds weight. This bump in the road won't impede the investigation's findings.
