US Supreme Court rejects Trump request over seized documents

Justice Department had urged court to keep sensitive documents away from arbiter.

Former US president Donald Trump. Getty / AFP

The US Supreme Court on Thursday denied former president Donald Trump's attempt to have an independent mediator review more than 100 classified documents confiscated by the FBI from his Florida home.

The request was part of his legal battle against federal agents investigating his handling of classified government records.

The court denied Mr Trump's October 4 emergency appeal asking them to lift a federal appeals court's decision.

That ruling prevented the "special master" from reviewing more than 100 documents marked as classified, which were among about 11,000 records seized at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach in August.

The Supreme Court decision comes two days after the US Justice Department urged it to deny Mr Trump's request and keep the sensitive documents out of the hands of the arbiter.

The court has a 6-3 conservative majority, including two justices appointed by Mr Trump, who left office in January 2021.

Federal officials obtained a court-approved warrant to search his residence after suspecting that not all classified documents in his possession had been returned after his presidency ended.

Investigators searched for evidence of crimes related to unlawfully keeping national defence information and obstructing a federal investigation.

Meanwhile, the January 6th House committee investigating last year’s attack on the US Capitol unanimously voted to subpoena Mr Trump.

The committee is also demanding documents and testimony about his role in the deadly attack.

“He is required to answer for his actions," committee chairman Bennie Thompson said on Thursday. "He is required to answer for those police officers” who put their lives on the line.

“And Trump is required to answer to millions of Americans whose votes he wanted to throw out.”

“So it is our obligation to seek Donald Trump’s testimony."

Agencies contributed to this report.