The judge serving as the special master in the Mar-a-Lago documents case asked Donald Trump’s lawyers to produce evidence for the former president’s claim that he declassified the top-secret documents he was keeping at his estate.
Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie held a legal hearing with Trump’s attorneys on Tuesday as part of his review of the sensitive documents seized by the FBI. In this hearing, Dearie took the view that the government has shown evidence that the Mar-a-Lago documents were classified, and he pressed Trump’s team to back up the ex-president’s questionable claim of their declassification.
“If the government gives me prima facia evidence that they are classified documents, and you don’t advance any claim of declassification, I’m left with a prima facia case of classified documents,” Dearie said. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the end of it.”
In response to Dearie’s skepticism, Trump lawyer James Trusty argued that “we should not be in a position to have to disclose declarations” about the classification issue, and that Trump team’s shouldn’t be forced to disclose details of their possible defense until criminal charges are filed. Trusty also went on the attack against the National Archives, calling it a “politicized” agency that shouldn’t be part of Dearie’s review.
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“You can’t have your cake and eat it,” Dearie said in response to that argument. He went on by wondering if Trump’s legal team would be clear to review the Mar-a-Lago documents, given their apparent classified nature.
Watch above, via ABC.