A US judge on Monday approved former President Donald Trump's request to appoint a "special supervisor" to independently review what FBI agents seized during a raid on his Florida residence;
This dealt a blow to prosecutors.
Prosecutors rejected Trump's request, arguing that appointing a special supervisor to examine the material covered by the attorney-client privilege would harm national security, and was unnecessary since a government team completed the move.
"A special supervisor will be appointed to review the forfeited property, administer and recommend franchise assertions, and evaluate property restitution claims," Judge Ellen Cannon wrote in her ruling, which was described as a victory for Trump in his legal battle.
The judge's decision made an exception to reviewing and using the material for "intelligence profiling and a national security assessment."
The judge gave both sides until next Friday to come up with a list of nominees for the role of special supervisor.
The Justice Department said in court filings that top-secret government documents, including "top secret" documents, were found in Trump's office during the raid on his Florida home.
A detailed list of what was seized showed Trump keeping more than 11,000 non-confidential government records that he claims he has the right to keep, but they are legally owned by the National Archives.
"The government temporarily prevents further review and use of any of the items seized at the plaintiff's residence on August 8, 2022 for criminal investigation purposes, pending the resolution of the review process for the special supervisor as determined by this court," the decision stated.