DOJ imposes order to safeguard classified documents in Donald Trump’s arrest.

The Justice Department Seeks Protective Order Against Trump

The Justice Department has taken action against former President Donald Trump, filing a motion on Friday for a protective order. This order aims to prevent Trump from sharing classified material obtained by his lawyers in his ongoing classified documents case.

The requested protective order would restrict Trump’s access to the 31 documents being used by federal prosecutors in the case. According to the Hill, Trump would only be allowed to review these documents in the presence of his attorneys. The motion will be reviewed by Judge Bruce Reinhart.

Strict Guidelines for Access to Discovery Materials

In the court filing, the Department of Justice stated, “Defendants shall only have access to Discovery Materials under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counsel’s staff.” The filing also emphasized that Trump is not permitted to retain copies of the Discovery Material. However, he may take notes, which must be securely stored by his defense team.

This language mirrors the restrictions imposed on Trump in his previous hush money case in New York. In that case, he was prohibited from sharing evidence. Earlier this year, Trump faced 34 counts in Manhattan for his alleged involvement in a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

New Charges and the Espionage Act

Last week, Trump was indicted by a Florida grand jury on additional charges related to mishandling classified documents after his presidency. These charges include 31 counts for the willful retention of national defense information, which is a violation of the Espionage Act.

The Department of Justice emphasized in the filing, “The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court.”

Trump has pleaded “not guilty” to all charges in both cases. Additionally, he recently lost a defamation and sexual assault lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll and has been ordered to pay $5 million in damages.

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