In a court filing Monday night, the Department of Justice said that it agrees that one of former President Donald Trump’s special master picks, Raymond Dearie, is an appropriate choice to review the documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago.
According to the filing, the DOJ said it was amenable to Trump’s choice, Dearie, or the two picks the DOJ itself submitted to the court: retired judges Barbara S. Jones and Thomas B. Griffith. All three “each have substantial judicial experience, during which they have presided over federal criminal and civil cases, including federal cases involving national security and privilege concerns.”
However, the DOJ “respectfully” opposed the appointment of Trump’s second choice, Paul Huck Jr., “who does not appear to have similar experience.”
Judge Dearie is a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York and served as chief judge of the court from 2007 to 2011. He previously approved a warrant for the FBI to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the Russia investigation, though he is understood to have a stellar reputation and is highly regarded by the DOJ and Trump legal team.
Trump opposed the Justice Department’s candidates.
