The two-page order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signals that she is inclined to grant a request from Trump’s lawyers, who this week asked for the appointment of an independent special master to oversee a review of the records obtained from Mar-a- Lago and identify any that may be protected by executive privilege and ensure the return of any documents outside the scope of the search warrant. The judge scheduled a hearing Thursday to discuss the matter further, suggesting that the Justice Department will have an opportunity to object to the judge’s intentions. In other recent high-profile cases in which a special master was appointed, the person was a former judge. Cannon also asked the Justice Department to sign off with her on more detailed descriptions of the material taken from Trump’s estate “defining all of the property that was seized.” Lawyers for the former president have complained that investigators did not reveal enough information to them about the specific documents seized when agents executed a search warrant on Aug. 8 to seek classified documents. The special appointment of a master, if it happens, is unlikely to significantly affect the direction of the Justice Department’s investigation, although it is possible that an outside review of the documents could slow the investigation.
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