New York judge Raymond Dearie appointed as special master in DOJ case against Trump

A veteran New York judge has been appointed to independently review the classified records seized from Donald Trump’s Florida resort last month and determine whether they fall under attorney-client privilege.

A veteran New York judge has been appointed to independently review the classified records seized from Donald Trump’s Florida resort last month and arbitrate the federal investigation into the former president.

Hon. Raymond Dearie was announced as special master in the case by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, court documents showed. Dearie was one of two possible third-party legal experts suggested to Cannon by Trump’s team. He was chosen after the Department of Justice agreed he was an acceptable candidate.

Dearie, 78, a Rockville Centre, New York native, had served as the top judge of Brooklyn’s federal court from 1986 to 2011, before taking on a reduced caseload and serving as a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge, according to his official biography.

He will now be responsible for reviewing the trove of files the FBI snatched from Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 and separating any personal materials or documents that could be subject to claims of attorney-client or executive privilege. Dearie had until Nov. 30 to complete his classifications and review — six weeks longer than the feds had requested, the order said.