The Department of Justice filed a motion to block former President Donald Trump from publicly releasing classified materials during his prosecution, The Hill reported.
In a Friday court filing to the federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the DOJ stressed that some files harbored at Trump's Mar-a-Lago property include information about ongoing investigations.
Therefore, the department argued, the 31 documents under scrutiny should only be reviewed by Trump under the presence of his legal team, who themselves would only be allowed to take securely-stored notes.
"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," the department wrote.
District Judge Aileen Cannon referred the motion Friday evening to federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the Federal Bureau of Investigation's raid of Mar-a-Lago last year.
The Hill noted that the DOJ's pursuit of the protective order is likely a positive sign for Trump's defense, indicating that special counsel John L. Smith's office will not try to block their access to the records entirely.
It comes after Trump was arraigned Tuesday on 37 counts related to housing classified government documents, allegedly including sensitive national security material on nuclear weapons and other defenses.
Trump has pled not guilty to all charges.
"We are at a turning point in our nation's history," Trump attorney Alina Habba said outside the courthouse. "The targeted, political prosecution of a leading political opponent is the type of thing you see in dictatorships like Cuba and Venezuela."
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