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Aug. 29, 2022, 12:31 p.m.

Intelligence officials to determine security risk of documents taken from Trump's home

Summary

A federal judge will soon decide on former President Trump’s request for a “special master” to review the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. Meanwhile, intelligence officials informed Congress they will evaluate the security risks stemming from Trump’s handling of the unsecured documents. Hugo Lowell, congressional reporter for the Guardian joins us to discuss. For a transcript of this story, click here .

Five Facts

  • Who is interviewed in this story, and what is his background?
  • Where did the FBI seize classified documents that were in the possession of former president Trump?
  • What is a "special master" and why was one requested by Trump's attorneys?
  • Why have intelligence officials ordered a review of possible harm to national security from documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago?
  • How might the Justice Department continue its investigation into Trump's handling of government secrets, according to this story?

Focus Questions

How do you think the Department of Justice should handle situations where former presidents take government documents such as classified secrets when they leave office? Media literacy: How much of Hugo Lowell's summary of the state of the investigation seems to come from his own reporting? What do you think are the sources of his information?

For More

What students can do: On Friday, the Justice Department released a heavily redacted affidavit (facts presented to a judge to obtain a search warrant, allowing for a law enforcement search of private property such as Trump's home and resort). You can examine the search affidavit here . Read and discuss what is in it, and what and why so much is redacted , or obscured from view.
  • Watch the following from Brooks and Capehart on the search and affidavit that led to it, as well as a discussion of other news from last week:

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