Marco Bello | Reuters A federal judge in Florida told the Justice Department on Saturday to provide her with more specific information about classified records removed from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate and said it was her “preliminary intention” to appoint a special master in the case. 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 review records obtained from Mar-a-Lago and identify any that may be protected by executive privilege. The judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday to discuss the matter further. An expert master is often a former judge. Cannon also asked the Justice Department to unseal with her more detailed descriptions of the material taken from Trump’s estate. 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.
