The U.S. government is pushing back on a request from former President Donald Trump's legal team on how they handle classified materials, saying they are requesting "special treatment that no other criminal defendant would receive."
Trump's legal team, in communications about a protective order over classified materials in the case, requested that a SCIF, or sensitive compartmented information facility where classified information would be discussed, be set up at a secure area "at an unidentified location used during Trump's presidency."
A reply to the renewed motion for a protective order said that the location being requested is "likely a reference to one of [Trump's] homes."
In documents filed in court, the government said, "Creating a secure location in Trump's residence — which is also a social club — so he can discuss classified information, would be an unnecessary and unjustified accommodation that deviates from the normal course of cases involving classified discovery."
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Court documents said the U.S. government's side has argued that the location of a SCIF, where classified information can be discussed, should be determined by the chief information security officer, while working with the defense.
In a protective order in the case, Judge Tanya Chutkan said Trump and his legal team cannot disclose "sensitive materials" to anyone who is not working on the defense in the case.
In the order, Chutkan laid out parameters for what is considered sensitive materials. It includes materials containing personally identifying information, witness testimony and related exhibits presented to the grand jury. Materials obtained through seal or search warrants, recordings, transcripts, interview reports and materials obtained from other governmental entities are also not to be disclosed.
The order does not apply to information or records that are publicly available or that the defense has secured on its own.
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