What we know about Trump, DOJ's candidates for Mar-a-Lago special master
Published Date: 9/10/2022
Source: axios.com

Both former President Trump and the Department of Justice proposed four individuals who could serve as the special master in the review of the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago by the FBI in August.

The big picture: With their candidates, Trump and the DOJ have staked out different positions on the scope of the special master's potential review.


Details: Trump and the DOJ each proposed two candidates for the position after Judge Aileen Cannon's ruling this week.

  • Trump's team wants the special master to consider all the classified documents and keep executive privilege in mind when conducting their review, the Washington Post reports.
  • The DOJ said the special master should not review all the 100-plus classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, per the Washington Post.
  • The DOJ doesn't want the special master's review to consider if documents should be covered by executive privilege because that "cannot be claimed by a former president — or from one part of the executive branch to another," according to WaPo.

The DOJ's special master candidates

Barbara S. Jones — a retired judge who was nominated by former President Clinton.

  • Jones previously served in the Southern District of New York, per NPR.
  • She previously worked on similar special master cases for Trump allies Michael Cohen in 2017 and Rudy Giuliani in 2021, according to the New York Times.
  • Jones currently works at Bracewell LLP, where she focuses on investigations and mediations.

Thomas B. Griffith — a retired appeals judge who was nominated by former President George W. Bush.

  • He previously worked in the federal district court in Washington, D.C., according to NPR.
  • Griffith currently works at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.
  • He authored opinions on administrative and congressional investigation cases.

Trump's special master candidates

Raymond J. Dearie — a former federal judge picked by former President Reagan.

Paul Huck Jr. — former general counsel to then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. He served as Florida's deputy attorney journey.

What's next: Both sides will respond to either candidate Monday, per NBC News.

Go deeper: DOJ and Trump's legal team submit special master proposals