https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/fbi-completes-initial-review-of-documents-seized-in-trump-ra

FBI completes initial review of documents seized in Trump raid: DoJ

The FBI has concluded an initial review of the documents seized in the raid on former US President Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, which took place on August 8, according to a court filing on Monday.

The court filing also revealed that the FBI set aside documents potentially covered by attorney-client privilege, which Trump had been claiming was violated.

"In accordance with the judicially authorized search warrant's provisions, the Privilege Review Team… identified a limited set of materials that potentially contain attorney-client privileged information, completed its review of those materials, and is in the process of following the procedures set forth in… the search warrant affidavit to address potential privilege disputes, if any," it read.

The Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence are undertaking a so-called classification review and a national security risk review of the documents retrieved from Trump's home.

Trump reportedly had more than 300 classified documents in his possession after leaving office, half of which the National Archives unsealed in January, alerting the DoJ to what eventually led to the FBI raid of his Florida estate.

The FBI took 11 boxes worth of papers, including data deemed to be so secret that they could not be stated individually in the "receipt" of what was taken.

A New York Times report revealed last week that the large amount of classified materials recovered by the government is what led to a federal criminal investigation into Trump.

In addition to the 150 documents recovered by the National Archives in January and the documents given to the DoJ in June by Trump aides, the documents recovered in the Mar-a-Lago raid raised a total of more than 300 classified documents recovered by Washington, the NYT said.

Trump and the National Archives have been at each other's throats since the former left office in 2021 after the agency found that he was in possession of White House documents that he should have turned over to the government upon the end of his term.

Trump announced that he was taking the US government to court over the FBI's raid and search of his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Trump aims to initiate this bid to stop the federal agency from delving into the material seized from him until a special court official can be appointed to review the documents in question.

The dramatic FBI raid on Donald Trump's palatial Florida residence has supercharged the bitter, polarizing political debate around the slew of judicial investigations facing the former President as he considers another White House run.

The raid led to Trump facing a criminal investigation over potential violations of the Espionage Act and additional statutes relating to obstruction of justice, as well as the destruction of federal government records, according to the search warrant executed by FBI agents at the former President's home.

The violation of the Espionage Act has a possible punishment of 10 years in federal prison, the statute for obstruction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and the statute for the destruction of records carries a potential lifetime ban on holding public office.

The whole debacle with the Department of Justice deals a Trump mighty legal blow, which constitutes his latest, as he fights numerous other cases, including the January 6 Capitol riots, which could obstruct his path to a new presidency at the White House in 2024.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/scholz:-ukraine-war-putting-eu-unanimity-system-to-test

Scholz: Ukraine war putting EU unanimity system to test

On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed his country's backing for Ukraine and other EU candidates while highlighting the need for reforms in order for the union to grow to "30 or 36."

During a visit to the Czech Republic, Scholz gave a speech outlining his vision for the EU and stated that the "invasion of Ukraine by Russia" calls for a "European response to this watershed."

He urged the EU to lessen its "one-sided dependence," whether they be in the areas of the economy, energy, or defense, and called for a "geopolitical, sovereign, and expanding EU." The German chancellor emphasized that he was "dedicated" to the bloc's expansion, and that included the six countries of the western Balkans, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine.

A switch to a "majority voting" method would be necessary as the bloc grew, he argued, in order to avoid slowing down EU decision-making. The Ukraine war is already putting the unanimity system to the test at a time when prompt action is even more important, according to Scholz.

He said, "Let's seek compromises together," and said that the sanctions policy might be one area where majority voting could be used.

Member states also had a third option, which he called "constructive abstention," in addition to the two alternatives of voting "yes" or "no."

Scholz: common air defense system is beneficial for EU security

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz advocated for a common air defense system and said during a speech at Charles University in Prague: "A jointly created air defense system in Europe would not only be cheaper and more effective than if each of us built our own expensive, very complex air defense system. It would be beneficial in terms of security for the whole of Europe".

Scholz further emphasized that it would be a security advantage for the whole of Europe and thus an example of what is meant when referring to fortifying the European side of NATO. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, a launch of sanctions against Russia has led to an economic crisis in the EU, with Germany suffering a massive brunt to its energy supply while providing Ukraine with weapons its own military does not have.

However, in June, Scholz announced that Germany will deliver an air defense system - the Iris T system - to Ukraine, capable of shielding a city from Russian air raids, attempting to reverse Germany's reputation that it has not been aiding Ukraine as it should. Still, last Friday, Scholz announced that Germany will not be supplying weapons to Ukraine that would allow for strikes on Russian territory.

"We have a considerable room for improvement in the area of Europe’s defense against threats from air and space. For this reason, Germany is going to significantly invest in air defense. At the same time, Germany will organize this future air defense in a way that our European neighbors can also participate in it if they want to. For instance, Poles, Balts, Dutch, Czechs, Slovaks or our Scandinavian partners," Scholz commented.