US District Court Judge for South Florida Aileen Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump one week after the 2020 election, instructed Trump’s lawyers to clarify their argument for the need to have a court-appointed special master to review documents seized by the FBI two weeks ago at Trump’s snowbird retreat and supper club in Florida, CNN reports.
Cannon gave lawyers until Friday to tell the court what the specific problem is; what specific relief they’re seeking; and why they believe the court has the ability to provide that relief at this time. Cannon also wanted to know if Trump’s lawyers had officially advised the Department of Justice about their request.
Cannon also wanted to know why Trump’s lawyers did not take the issue to magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart, given that he was the jurist who handled the case for the search warrant, hinting that Trump’s lawyers may have been seeking a favorable ruling from a Trump-appointed judge, also known as “forum shopping.”