A US federal appeals court has halted an independent party's review of thousands of documents obtained during an August FBI search at former president Donald Trump's home.
“The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant,” the ruling read. “Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so.”
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the Justice Department should have access to “lawfully seized records”, ending a months-long saga over the merits of assigning a third party to the case and agreeing on the overall extent of the special master's work.
The US Justice Department will now have access to all documents found in the August 8 search.
The agency filed an October appeal against the assignment of a special master to review the thousands of documents the FBI obtained during a court-approved search of Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and home in Florida.
The appeals court's ruling states that Trump-appointed District Judge Aileen Cannon erred in her decision to approve Mr Trump's request for a special master and to restrict the federal agency's use of the documents in September.
She assigned a Trump choice that the Department of Justice also agreed with — District Judge Raymond Dearie — who has operated under a mid-December deadline to look at the 11,000 documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.
“We agree with the government that the district court improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction, and that dismissal of the entire proceeding is required,” the court stated.
In his time serving as an independent third party on the case, Mr Dearie was vocal about clarifying his work as special master and challenging dubious claims made by Mr Trump and his lawyers.
The US Department of Justice is investigating Mr Trump and his team for espionage and obstruction of justice for the possession of classified material after his presidency ended in 2021.
The efforts of the former president's lawyers in getting a special master involved in the US government's probe is viewed by some as a way for Mr Trump to heavily litigate and delay its work.
“It is indeed extraordinary for a warrant to be executed at the home of a former president — but not in a way that affects our legal analysis or otherwise gives the judiciary license to interfere in an ongoing investigation,” the court wrote.
It is not yet clear if Mr Trump will appeal this decision before the US Supreme Court.
He announced his third White House bid for the 2024 presidential campaign in November.
As a result, the Justice Department assigned a special master to oversee this and other federal investigations involving Mr Trump, including a probe into the January 6 insurrection and efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
