Judge REJECTS Trump's bid to have a special master look over documents seized from Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump's bid to have a special master look over documents seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago property was crushed by a federal judge on Monday.

Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon overturned her own earlier controversial ruling that sided with Trump and effectively delayed the Department of Justice's investigation.

The former president's lawsuit was dismissed for 'lack of jurisdiction,' according to the Monday court filing.

Trump is being investigated by the Justice Department for the possible mishandling of presidential records and classified documents, which were seized during a high-profile raid of his home in August. 

The judge's action is pursuant to a December 1 ruling that ordered her to toss her original September 5 decision.

Earlier this month, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a harsh rebuke of Cannon's original order to appoint a special master in the first place.

'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. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so,' wrote the court.

It ruled that Cannon 'improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction,' and dismissed the proceedings. 

Donald Trump has repeatedly dismissed the Department of Justice's investigation as a 'witch hunt'

The blistering opinion said the District Court's September decision lacked the legal footing to block the government from using 'lawfully seized records in a criminal investigation.'

Cannon is a Trump appointee who was sworn onto the bench shortly before he left office. 

The former president sued the federal government after FBI agents raided his Palm Beach, Florida estate in search of classified documents and other presidential records on August 8. 

Judge Aileen Cannon's Monday decision overturns her earlier September ruling that sided with Trump to appoint a special master to his Mar-a-Lago documents case

Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and attacked the search of his home as part of a 'witch hunt' against him. 

The search came after months of back-and-forth between Trump's team and officials with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) over materials removed from the White House when Trump left office.

He was given a seven-day window to appeal the 11th Circuit Court's ruling but did not do so. 

Cannon's ruling appears to be the final nail in the coffin for Trump's lawsuit, likely clearing the way for Justice Department investigators to access the documents seized over the summer.

Under her original order, federal agents were forced to pause their review until a special master could look over the pages for potential privilege claims.

Cannon had appointed New York senior judge Raymond Dearie to sort through the materials, and the work commenced even as the two sides battled over the decision in court. 

The FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach. Florida on August 8 of this year

Trump's lawyers had argued that a special master was needed to sort through potential privilege claims – referencing both attorney-client privilege and executive privilege matters.

But the government was already sorting through materials to sift out any attorney-client materials, and the Justice Department said it was President Joe Biden who had the authority to assert privilege.

Government prosecutors also argued that a significant delay posed by something like a special master review threatened to do irreparable harm to their investigation. 

The FBI seized more than 10,000 files from Trump. Reportedly about 100 were classified or top secret. 

Presidential records much be turned over to the National Archives at the end of a president's term. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland personally approved federal agents' request to petition a judge for a search warrant, which was later granted.

The warrant revealed in August that Trump is being investigated for possible violations of the Espionage Act, among other potential crimes.