Attorney explains judge’s comments on Trump special master ruling

A federal judge has granted former President Donald Trump's request to appoint a "special master" to review materials that the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago last month. CNN's Sara Murray and Kara Scannell break down the judge's ruling with constitutional law attorney Page Pate. #CNN #News

70 comments

  1. I might be able to accept this judge’s ruling if someone could explain to me why she has any jurisdiction to overrule another judge’s orders.

  2. So judge essentially used word salad to say, โ€œCertain people legally get special treatment under the lawโ€. We live in a a-hole country.

    1. @Daniel There is no basis whatsoever for the assertion that a special master would be appointed for any high ranking executive. This is a first.

  3. WTF is freaking happening!?! It’s insane to see a judge explain to us that basically, the ‘rich, white, lying EXprez’ is entitled to special treatment. ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿคฆ

    1. @Dave Martin She doesn’t have the clearance to see them if she wanted to. Funny that Trumps attorneys said the special master would need a security clearance at the same time they’re arguing that he declassified everything. Talk about establishing a pattern………

  4. This Judge forgot her oath, (I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.) With her action she just affirmed that Trump is above the law, goes to show you as he said that he can shoot someone ob fifth Avenue and get away with it. And of course watch them choose someone of their choosing. Trump and his cronies will,get away with their crimes, our country is doomed.

  5. The DOJ said that a special master would impede its investigation, the judge INTENDED TO IMPEDE THE INVESTIGATION for her master.

  6. The only people qualified with the appropriate security clearance would be among those who have already reviewed the documents. Lol How insane that this unqualified judge has ruled like this. Even the ABA says she is unqualified. Typical republican appointee. They don’t care if their appointees are qualified, just “loyal” to their ideology.

    1. @greg lamar Yes your right. In fact the judge has asked both sides to come before her on the 9th September with a list of nominees for the position of Special Master. She will hope that the parties can agree on a nominee, failing which she will make the appointment.

    2. YES!!!!!
      Im glad that someone else sees the crazy here. Rule for a special master to look at already seen documents because the individuals that had already looked at them, are the only ones with clearance to be a special master. The republican apointee also went off script because special masters are usually needed only when there is a lawyer in trouble. Client attorney privledge does come into play there. “He” is always needing a lawyer, hes the client. How does that add up to needing anything special?

  7. This is an absolute outrage!
    Words can’t express how angry I am at this incompetent and corrupt woman!๐Ÿ˜ค๐Ÿคฌ

    1. What do you expect she was in her twenties when she joined the Federalist society, who’s doing that in their twenties?

    1. Lawyers most often get this, and government employees dealing who work directly for the executive branch occasionally get this – this is a system designed for when a lawyer’s office is raided and materials pertaining to their clients’ cases are seized (attorney-client privilege) alongside any relevant items to the investigation. Occasionally someone working for the government executive will also have a special master review items taken to ensure confidential items belonging to the executive aren’t taken (executive privilege). In this case they’re talking about the latter.

      This would refer to the “other miscellaneous items” taken and not the classified documents which are the main evidence in the case.

      And it’s quite correct to note that the current executive (Biden) is the one whose rights would be being protected under an executive privilege claim, and it would be as improper for him to enact a blanket waiver of executive privilege as it would be for Trump to “wave his hand over a box of documents and say these are all declassified without knowing what’s in them”.

      Which is why the whole thing is pointless. Biden is the one who gets to decide whether to enforce executive privilege over any items identified as potentially having executive privilege held over them. But he can’t responsibly waive that privilege until the nature of those items is known.

  8. Yes, it is an ordinary situation; a citizen of the U.S is guilty of stealing top secret documents, was discovered with the documents in his possession. This is cut and dried, this judge not only needs to be removed from the bench, she needs to fully explain her ruling and if unable should be prosecuted for interfering in an ongoing criminal case.

  9. Now, anyone who has anything seized by any law enforcement on the strength of a search warrant must be able to demand a special master. Anyone who has items seized may claim that their reputation has been harmed by a seizure. To claim Trump’s reputation is more important than John or Jane Doe’s reputation would put a final nail in the coffin of the principle of equality before the law.

    1. @NBA1 ๐Ÿ‘ˆ๐Ÿ‘†Remember, DON’T CLICK THE LINK! Just report as SPAM and then move on! ๐Ÿ˜‰โœŒ

    2. For years, law enforcement has been able to seize property, money, vehicles and homes of people who are stopped and arrested for a suspected drug crime. Never mattered if what was seized had anything to do with the crime. Perhaps many of these people and people going forward will get their “special master” to determine if law enforcement can or can not enrich themselves and their departments from such seizures.

  10. Whoah! Who would have guessed the the ATTORNEY has the most accurate answer? “It may be a political win for Trump but it’s not much of a legal win”. I agree fully.

    1. @TRUMP JR Better question …How many times do you have to call me a boo boo head to make yourself feel better?

    2. Exactly like how the majority of theft in this country is actually wage theft of employers stealing from their employees, and all other types of theft makeup just a tiny percentage. However wage theft is hardly prosecuted, and people in poverty who steal sometimes out of necessity are the most prosecuted. Even being poor is punishable, if you are unable to pay a bill or a traffic violation, you are fined an ordered to pay even more. Can’t afford your electric bill? There will be late fees added, which really doesn’t make sense because if you couldn’t pay a certain amount, why would they expect you to be able to pay more? It creates a system in which it is very difficult to get out of poverty

    3. We are not all equal under the law! Just one (of MANY) examples: A Black woman in Texas wasn’t sure whether she was allowed to vote as she had been convicted of a crime several years previously , so she asked a poll worker, who couldn’t find an answer at the time, but suggested that the woman could cast a provisional ballot which would be counted when the matter was resolved. After the answer was obtained, the voter was disqualified because she was still on probation. Her provisional ballot was not counted but she was charged with voter fraud and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, at least two White men deliberately claimed that deceased relatives, one’s mother and the other man’s wife, if I remember correctly, were alive, and voted on their behalf. They both were subsequently convicted and sentenced to probation!

  11. Unbelievable!! Then again, we already know the law applies differently for some. This “man” has clearly broken laws and placed our country along with our service men and women in jeopardy, but still they are abiding by what he wants. At some point the laws in place need to be followed and he needs to be held accountable. This is no longer about politics, but what is right and wrong for our democracy. The constitutional freedoms we enjoy in this country should mean more than the greed of one man….period!

    1. @Felix Zayas and you are justifying illegal actions ๐Ÿ™‚ I think I will side with the person NOT excusing illegal actions or criminal families.

    2. @Daniel Dos Santos Only if you do not count public statements made, and public actions taken ๐Ÿ˜‰ but I know evidence is in the eyes of the beholder and cultist are blind…trump told them to be ๐Ÿ™‚ want the date and time on that trump quote?

  12. From now on I want special masters for EVERYTHING. Also, Biden gets to take home any documents he wants, and can pardon himself, and gets to start insurrections without consequence.

  13. They need to hold him accountable!! He’s made us look incompetent and we’ve lost respect of other countries. Not to mention the damage he’s caused to the US!

  14. What then happens to the โ€œwonderful party of law and orderโ€. In other instances youโ€™ll hear them say โ€œif you commit the crime, you serve the timeโ€, meaning everyone bears consequences for their actions. Thereโ€™s nothing fair about this ruling. Whatever nature the raid might have taken, it was a consequence of him unlawfully taking those documents to his residence and then refusing to give them back despite multiple requests from the government.
    This is how the rule of law gradually diminishes.

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