US government documents, including classified files, appear to have been moved from a storage room at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and concealed, the Justice Department said in a new court filing.
The department said moving the documents was probably part of an effort to obstruct a government investigation into the former president's possible mishandling of top secret documents.
The agency said more than 320 documents have been removed from Mr Trump's home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Before the FBI raid on August 8, the agency said it had uncovered "sources of evidence” showing that classified documents remained at Mar-a-Lago.
“The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the storage room, and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation,” the department said in its 36-page court filing.
A photograph released by the Justice Department shows some of the records found at Mar-a-Lago, with six of those documents bearing “Top Secret/SCI” or “Secret/SCI” classification markings.
SCI stands for “sensitive compartmented information”.
Other documents spread out on the carpeted floor are whited out. Next to those documents is a cardboard box containing gold-framed photographs, including a cover of Time magazine.
During the raid, the FBI seized evidences including 33 boxes that contained more than 100 classified records, including those belonging to the highest levels of classification, agency lawyers wrote in the court filing.
The Justice Department said it provided the new details on the background of the investigation to “correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in plaintiff’s [Mr Trump's] filings”.
The court filing was in response to Mr Trump's request to appoint a special master, a third-party individual acting as an independent overseer of a case, to review documents taken by the FBI.
His team on Wednesday evening continued to argue for a special master in a legal response to the Department of Justice on the court's request.
"The Government should provide to the special master and to Movant a copy of the Seized Materials, a copy of the Search Warrant, and an unredacted copy of the underlying application materials," its filling read.
Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, scheduled a hearing for Thursday to hear arguments on his request.
The agency argued against the appointment of a special master, saying that the government records “do not belong to him [Mr Trump]”.
The Presidential Records Act, the agency said, makes clear that the US government has complete control over the records in question.
Furthermore, the agency said, “the harms to the government and the public would far outweigh any benefit to plaintiff [Mr Trump]”.
Lawyers for Mr Trump claimed that the former president had wanted to protect some of the documents as part of executive privilege, which shields private presidential communications.
Mr Trump has also, without evidence, claimed to have declassified the records.
However, the Justice Department refuted those claims.
“When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former president had declassified the documents or asserted any claim of executive privilege,” prosecutors wrote in the court filing.
An unsealed search warrant released earlier this month showed that Mr Trump is being investigated for potentially violating the Espionage Act as well as obstructing justice.
Mr Trump claims the raid on his home was illegal and has tried to portray it as a politically motivated stunt by President Joe Biden and the Justice Department.
“Terrible the way the FBI, during the raid of Mar-a-Lago, threw documents haphazardly all over the floor … and then started taking pictures of them for the public to see,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform.
“Thought they wanted them kept secret? Lucky I declassified.”
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20JustClean%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20with%20offices%20in%20other%20GCC%20countries%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202016%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20160%2B%20with%2021%20nationalities%20in%20eight%20cities%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20online%20laundry%20and%20cleaning%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2430m%20from%20Kuwait-based%20Faith%20Capital%20Holding%20and%20Gulf%20Investment%20Corporation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
