DOJ has already reviewed documents seized from Trump, judge claims

The Justice Department has already reviewed documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, and has identified a “limited set” of documents that could possibly be protected by attorney-client privilege, according to a court filing Monday.

The revelation came as part of a status update filed in federal court in New York, in response to a request from Trump’s lawyers for more information about the government’s review process.

Trump’s lawyers have argued that the seized documents contain privileged information and should not be used as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the ex-president’s business dealings.

In Monday’s filing, Justice Department prosecutors said they had completed their initial review of the seized materials and had turned over a “subset” of those documents to Trump’s lawyers for their review.

The prosecutors also said they would provide Trump’s lawyers with “an opportunity to raise any privilege claims” before turning over any of the documents to investigators.

It is not clear what specific information is contained in the documents in question, or how many documents are at issue.

The Justice Department’s disclosure that a privilege review is underway suggests that investigators believe there is potentially sensitive information contained in the seized materials.

Trump’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest court filing.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has called the investigation a “witch hunt.”

The Mar-a-Lago documents were seized by investigators last month, after a months-long legal battle over their release.