The Justice Department has taken action to prevent former President Donald Trump from releasing any classified materials that may be shared with his legal team during his ongoing prosecution for the mishandling of records at Mar-a-Lago.
The department filed a motion on Friday, highlighting that some of these materials are still being used in the course of their investigation.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the documents in question “include information pertaining to ongoing investigations” that could potentially be utilized to further cases against individuals who have not yet been charged.
In an effort to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation, the DOJ has proposed a protective order to restrict Trump’s access to the 31 documents being used in the case.
Under this order, Trump would only be allowed to review the materials in the presence of his attorneys.
“The defendants shall only have access to Discovery Materials under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counsel’s staff. Defendants shall not retain copies of Discovery Material. Defendants may take notes regarding Discovery Materials, but such notes shall be stored securely by Defense Counsel,” stated the DOJ in their filing.
The motion clarifies that the Justice Department does not intend to prevent Trump from accessing records that he stored for an extended period at Mar-a-Lago.
This proposed protective order also contains similar language to another order agreed upon in a separate Trump case, where he is facing a 34-count indictment related to a hush money scandal in New York state.
Prosecutors in that case requested that Trump be barred from disclosing any evidence, and the order restricts the former president from making any such disclosures.
“The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court,” emphasized the Department of Justice.
Judge Aileen Cannon, who presided over Trump’s previous challenge to the investigation, has referred the motion to Judge Bruce Reinhart, the same judge who approved the initial search of Mar-a-Lago.
As the legal proceedings against former President Trump continue, the Justice Department seeks to ensure that classified materials remain confidential and that the integrity of ongoing investigations is upheld. The decision on the proposed protective order will ultimately rest with Judge Reinhart, who will carefully review the arguments presented by both parties.
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