Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records

In lifting a hold on a core aspect of the department’s probe, the court removed an obstacle that could have delayed the investigation by weeks

In a stark repudiation of Donald Trump’s legal arguments, a federal appeals court on Wednesday permitted the Justice Department to resume its use of classified records seized from the former president’s Florida estate as part of its ongoing criminal investigation.

The ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit amounts to an overwhelming victory for the Justice Department, clearing the way for investigators to continue scrutinising the documents as they consider whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret records at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. In lifting a hold on a core aspect of the department’s probe, the court removed an obstacle that could have delayed the investigation by weeks.

Also Read: Mumbai: Decision on road repairs likely next week after survey report, says BMC 

The appeals court also noted that Trump had presented no evidence he had declassified the sensitive records, as he maintained as recently as Wednesday, and rejected  possibility that Trump could have an “individual interest in or need for” the roughly 100 documents with classification markings seized by the FBI in its Aug. 8 search of the Palm Beach property. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying ‘It’s declassified.’ Even by thinking about it...You’re the president, you make that decision,” Trump claimed in a Fox News interview Wednesday before the ruling.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!