The big picture: With their nominees, Trump and the Justice Department have taken different positions on the scope of the potential special master review. Details: Trump and the Justice Department nominated two candidates for the post after Judge Eileen Cannon’s ruling earlier this week.
Trump’s team wants the special master to consider all classified documents and keep executive privilege in mind when conducting her review, the Washington Post reports. The Justice Department said the special master should not review all 100-plus classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, according to the Washington Post. The DOJ doesn’t want the master’s special review to consider whether the documents should be covered by executive privilege because it “cannot be claimed by a former president — or from one branch of the executive branch to another,” according to WaPo.
Special DOJ master candidates Barbara S. Jones — retired judge nominated by former President Bill Clinton.
Jones previously served in the Southern District of New York, per NPR. He previously worked on similar special cases for Trump allies Michael Cohen in 2017 and Rudy Giuliani in 2021, according to the New York Times. Jones currently works at Bracewell LLP, where she focuses on investigations and mediation.
Thomas B. Griffith — retired appellate judge nominated by former President George W. Bush.
He previously worked in federal district court in Washington, DC, according to NPR. Griffith currently works at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. He wrote opinions on congressional administrative and investigative affairs.
Mr. Trump’s Special Candidates Raymond J. Dearie — former federal judge handpicked by former President Ronald Reagan. Paul Huck Jr. — former general counsel to then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. He served as a Florida Deputy Attorney General. What’s next: Both sides will respond to each candidate on Monday, according to NBC News. Go deeper: DOJ and Trump’s legal team make special master motions
