UNITEPSTATESDISTRICTCOURT

SOUTH ERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

CASE NO : 22-CV-81294-AM C

DONALD J.TRUM P,

Plaintiff, UNDER SEAL AND EX PARTE

v. (PRIVIL GKREY-I.KW - .

FILED BY .f& D.c.

UNITED STATESO F AM ERICA,

Defendant. Ad630 2022

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.o.o,s-là,-w.nl

NOTICE OF STATUS OF PRW ILEG

REW EW TEAM 'SFILTER PRO CESSAND PRODUCTION OF ITEM IZED

LIST OFDOCUM ENTSW ITHIN PRIW LEGE REW EW TEAM 'SCUSTODY

OnAugust27,2022,theCourtorderedtheUnitedStatestofileundersealaEcm oredetailed

ReceiptofProperty specifying a11property seized pursuantto the search wan'antexecuted on

August8,2022.''(DocketEntry(DE):29at2).TheCourtfurtherorderedtheUnitedStatesto

provideaSGpat'ticularizednoticeindicatingthestatusofthe(UrlitedStates')review oftheseized

property,includinganyfilterreview conductedbytheprivilegereview team andanydissem ination

ofmaterialsbeyondtheprivilegereviewteam.''(1d.)TheUnitedStates'PrivilegeReview Team,

through the undersigned attom eys,filesthisN otice pursuantto theCotlrt'sPrelim inary Order

(DE:29).l

1PursuanttotheCourt'sPreliminaty Order(DE:29at2),thisNotice,ExhibitA and

ExhibitB arefiledunderseal. Inan abundanceofcaution,thePrivilegeReview Tenm hasalso

filed thisNoticecxpartebecausetheNoticecontainssom edetailsthatarenotnorm ally shared

with theownerofa searched prem ises. And ûnally,becausethisNotice and Exhibitsdiscuss

potentially attorney-client privileged m aterials,the Notice and Exhibits have been marked

ElprivilegeReview Team''tom aintainacleardelineationbetweenthePrivilegeReview Team and

CaseTeam andpreventinadvertentexposure. '

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 1 of 10
Asdescribedbelow,thePrivilegeReview Tenm followedspecifiedsearchprocedure'sand

filterprotocolswhile executing the warrantto search certain locations within 1100 S.Ocean

Boulevard(theClpremises'')andsubsequentlydtlringthereview ofevidenceseizedduringthat

'

h2 Asaresultofthatprocess Searc . , thePrivilegekeview Tenm identified64setsofmaterials

(consistingofapproximately520pages)warrantingfurtherconsideration.ThePrivilegeReview

Tenm separatedthosematerialsintotwogroups(identifiedintheattachedExhibitA andExhibit

B).AsofthefilingofthisNotice,thePrivilegeReview Tenm hascompleteditsreview ofthe

m aterialscurrentlywithinitscustody andcontrolandawaitsfurtherdirectionfrom theCout't.As

partofthisNotice,thePrivilegeReview Team outlinesapotentialcourseofactionforresolving

issuesrelatedtothepotentiallyprivilegeddocum entsidentifiedinExhibitsA andB.

TheFilterProcessDuringtheExecutionoftheSçarchWarrant

ln seeking thewarrantto search certain locationswithintheprem ises,theUnited States

represented thatitwould follow certain proceduresto segregatefrom the CaseTenm m aterials

potentially containingattorney-clientprivilegedinformation anddocum entspotentially protected

underthe attorney work productdoctrine (hereinaftercolectively Glpotentialy privileged''

documentsormaterials).SeeAffidavit!81-84.Priortocommencingthesearch,theCaseTenm

providedthePrivilegeReview Team withalistof35atlorneys,includingEvanCorcoranandhis

firm ,Silverm an,Thompson,Slukin & W hite. The CaseTenm instructed the PrivilegeReview

Team agentshow to conducttheirreview duringthesearch.They directedthePrivilegeReview

Tenm agentstom ark doctunentsreflecting,containing,orotherwisedescribing communications

with,orbetween any ofthennm ed attorneys,any individualsidentified dudng thesearch who

2SeeIn reSealed Search Warrant, 9:22-M7-8332-8ER.DE:102-1!!81-84(S.D.F1a.)

(theGlAffidavif).Capitalizedtennsusedhereinhavethesamemeaningasidenticaltermsinthe

Affidavit.

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 2 of 10
appearedtobeattorneys,andtheirrespectivestaff@.g.,paralegals).Theyfutïherdirectedthe

Privilege Review Tenm agentsto clearly m ark,seal,and segregate thosepotentially privileged

m aterialsf'rom theCaseTeam .Ifpotentiallyprivilegedm aterialswerecomingledin acontainer

(e.g.,abox)withnon-privilegedmaterialsresponsivetoAttachmentBofthewarrant,thePrivilege

Review Team agentswereinstructedtoclearlym ark theentirecontaineraspotentiallyprivileged

forfurtherreview. Additionally,undersigned cotmsel,astheattorneysassignedtothePrivilege

Review Team ,instnlcted thePrivilegeReview Team agentsthatany photographstaken by the

FBI'sEvidenceResponseTeam couldpotentiallycaptureprivilegedm aterials,andtherefore,the

PriyilegeRevie'w Team shouldreview theSD cardscontainingthephotographsbeforereleasing'

them totheCaseTenm.3ffquestionsaroseaboutaparticularitem dudngthesearch,thePrivilege

Review Team agentswereinstructedtocontactthePrivilegeReview Team attorneys.

Plzrsuap.ttothefilterprotocolandsearchproceduressetforthintheAffidavit,thePrivilege

Review Team agentswereresponsibleforsearchingthe:$45Office''andtGconductlingjareview

oftheseizedm aterialsfrom the145Office'toidentifyandsegregatedocumentsordatacontaining

potentialyattorney-clientprivilegedinformation.''Affidavit!!81-82.Additionaly,thePrivilege

Review Tenm agents were to be (çavailable to assistin the eventthata procedtlre involving

potentialyattomey-clientprivilegedinformationrwas)required.''Id !81.Atthetimeofthe

search on August8,2022,the Case Team elected to have thePrivilegeReview Team agents

conductaninitialsearchandreview oftheStorageRoom (aswelasthe45Ofice,asdescribed

intheAffidavit)toidentifyandsegregatepotentialyprivilegeddomlmentsfrom theCaseTeam.

3BothPrivilegeReview Tenm agentsandundersigned cotmselreviewedtheim agesand

verified no potentially privileged documents were captured in the photographs before those

photographswerereleasedtotheCaseTenm .

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 3 of 10
Dtlring thesearch,thePrivilege Review Tenm agentstook a broad view ofpotentially

privileged inform ation,to include any documents to,âom ,or even referencing an attorney

(regardlessofwhetherthedocumentappearedtocapturecommunicationstoorfrom anattorney

forthepurposeofseekinglegaladviceandregardlessofwhotheatlorneyrepresentedl.4 The

PrivilegeReview Team agentsalso treatedany legaldoctlmentaspotentially privileged.These

materialsweresealed,segregated,and identified aspotentially pdvilegedwithoutregard tothe

substanceorconfidentialityofthecom mtmication.s

Bytheconclusionofthesearch,thePrivilegeReview Tenm agentshadmarkedandsealed

sixboxesofevidenceaspotentiallyprivileged- onebox cpntainingtheentirecontentsofasingle

drawerinthe45 Officeinwhich non-privileged,responsivem aterialshad been locatedandfive

boxesfrom theStorageRoom containing potentially privileged docum entscomingled with nonprivileged,responsivem aterials.ThePrivilegeReview Tenm agentsin Floridam aintained sole

4Thatis ofcourse 7 ,significantlybroaderthanthescopeoftheattorney-clientprivilegeand

workproductdoctrine.AstheCourtisnodoubtawre,aclaim ofattorney-clientprivilegerequires

proofofthefolowingelements:(1)theassertedholderofthepdvilegeisorsoughttobecomea

client;(2)thepersontowhom thecommunicationwasmade(a)isthememberofabarofacourt,

orhissubordinateand(b)inconnectionwiththiscommtmicationactingasalawyer;(3)the

commurlicationrelatestoafactwhichtheattorneywasinformed(a)byhisclient(b)withoutthe

presenceofstrangers(c)forthepuposeofsecuringprimarilyeither(i)anopinionon1aw or(i)

legalselwicesor(ii)assistanceinsomelegalproceeding,andnot(d)forthepurposeofcommitting

acrimeortort;and(4)theprivilegehasbeen(a)claimedand(b)notwaivedbytheclient.Inre

GrandluryProceedings88-9(MlA),899F.2d1039,1042(11thCir.1990),citingUnitedStates

v.Jones,517F.2d666(5thCir.1975).ThePrivilegeReview Tenm agentsfocusedonidentifying

and segregating dödumentsthatcaptlzred oreven implied com municationstoorfrom attom eys,

intending to leave legal analysis ofthe docum entsto the Privilege Review Team atlorneys,

pursuanttoparagraph 84oftheAffidavit.

5Forexnmple,thePrivilegeReview Tenm agentsidentifiedandsegregatedaprintedem ail

exchange between the U .S.AirForce Academ y'shead baseballcoach and the'W hite House,

becauseçpatC''(perhapsareferencetoWhiteHouseCounselPatCipolone)waswritlynonthe

documentinblackmarker(Item Nlmber4inExhibitA atFILTER-A-OOS).

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 4 of 10
custody and continuouscontrolofthe six boxes ofevidence containing potentially privileged

m aterialslmtilthoseboxesw eretransfen'edtoPrivilegeReview Team agentsassignedtoFBI's

W ashingtonFieldOffice(W170)onAugust9,2022.

ContinuationoftheFilterProcessattheWashingtonFieldO' cc

Atthe W ashington Field Oflice,the six sealed boxescontaining potentially privileged

m aterialsrem ainedsegregated from theCaseTeam inasectlreroom towhichtheCaseTeam did

not(anddoesnot)haveacqess.Anadditionalseventhboxwastrr sferredtothecustodyand

controlofthe Privilege Review Team agents on August 10,2022,after a Case Team agent

obselwedadocumentonM organLewisletterheadcom ingledwith newspapers.6 Consistentwith

thefilterprotocolssetforthi.ntheAffidavit,;theCaseTeam stoppeditsreview ofthatentirebox

andprovidedittothePrivilegeReview Tenm agentstoconductareview toidentifyandsegregate

potentiallyprivilegedm aterials.

ByAugust11,2022,thePrivilegeReview Team agentshadcompletedtheirreview ofthe

contentsofthesevencontainersofevidencecontainingpotentiallyprivilegedmaterials(j.a,the

fiveboxesfrom the StorageRoom ,the onebox containing thecontentsofthe45 Office desk

drawer,and theseventh box the CaseTeam provided tothePrivilegeReview Tenm forreview

shortlyafterthesearch)attheWashingtonFieldOftice.Dtlringthisfurtherreview,andconsistent

6ThatdocumentisltemNumber3inExhibitB(FILTER-B-O6StoFILTER-B-O68).Also

containedwithintheseventhboxwereItem Numbers1to4inExhibitA (FILTER-A-OOIto

FILTER-A-OOS),whichthePrivilegeReviewTeam agentsidentifiedaspotentiallyprivilegedafter

receivingcustodyandcontrolofthebox.

7Pursuanttothesearch proceduressetfol'th in theAftidavit, çtgiqfatanypointthelawezlforcem entpersozmelassignedtotheinvestigationsubsequently identify anydataordocum ents

thattheyconsiderm aybepotentiallyattom ey-clientprivileged,theywillceasethereview ofsuch

identified dataordocumentsand referthem aterialsto the PrivilegeReview Tenm forfurther

reviewbythePrivilegeReview Team.''M fidavit!83.

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 5 of 10
with paragraph 83 ofthe Affidavit,the Privilege Review Tenm agentsreviewed each box's

contentsandseparatedanypotentiallyprivilegedm aterialsfrom thebalanceofthedocum entsthat

werenotprivilegedandconveyedthenon-privilegeddocum entstotheCaseTenm . ThePrivilege

Review Tenm agents continued to m aintain custody and controlofthe potentially privileged

materialsinthesecureroom describedabove.

Undersigned counsel com pleted our review of the potentially privileged m aterials

identifiedbythePrivilegeReview Team agentsonAugust23,2022.Aspartofthatreview,the

p PrivilegeReview Team createdacompleteinventoly ofthepotentiallyprivilegeddocllm entsand

dividedthosematerialsintotwogroups(describedinmoredetailbelow andinExhibitsA andB

tothisfiling).Althoughmostofthematerialsdonotappeartobeevenpotentialyprivileged,

consistentwith theproceduressetforth in paragraph 84 oftheAffdavit,thePrivilegeReview

Team hasnotreleasedanyofthesem aterialstotheCaseTenm .

OnAugust25,2022,an attorney on theCaseTeam provided thePrivilegeReview Team

attorneyswitha39-pagesetofmaterialsthatappearstoreflecttheformerPresident'scals.(The

majority ofpages are titled GThe President's Calls''and include the PresidentialSeal.)

Specifically,thedocum entcontainshandwrittennames,numbers,andnotesthatprim arilyappear

tobemessages,aswelasseveralpagesofmiscellaneousnotes.(Thisdoctzmentisidentifiedas

ltem Nlmber21inExhibitA.)AftertheCaseTenm attorneyobselwednotesnexttonnmes,the

attorney stoppedreviewingthesetofmaterialsandaskedthePrivilegeReview Tenm attorneysto

review it.ThePrivilegeReview Tenm attom eysreviewedthissetofm aterialsandaddedittothe

' group ofpotentially privileged m aterialsidentified in ExhibitA.8 ThePrivilegeReview Tenm

8 This setofm aterials was notpreviously identified as potentially privileged by the

PrivilegeReview Tenm agents.

' 6

(

1

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 6 of 10
a'ttorneysfurtherdirectedthePrivilegeReview Tenm agentstosegregatethesetofm aterialsfrom

theCaseTenm andtom aintaincustody andcontrolofitinthesecureroom describedabove.

Asofthedateofthispleading,nomaterialsidentifiedbythePrivilegeReview Tenm agents

ascontainingpotentiallyprivileged information havebeenprovidedto theCaseTenm .Itisthe

1 PrivilegeReview Tenm 'sunderstandingthattheCaseTeam hasfinished aprelim inaryreview of

thedoclmentsseizedduringthesearchthatarewithintheCaseTenm'spossession(i.e.,materials

!

! notidentifiedaspotentialyprivileged).TheCaseTeam hasnotreferredanyadditionalmaterials

I

! tothePrivilegeReview Team forreview since August25,2022. To theextenttheCaseTenm

refers any additionalm aterialsto the Privilege Review Tenm ptlrsuantto the tilterprotocols,

undersignedcounselwillupdatetheCourt.

ProposedNextSteps

l . Asdescribedabove,thePrivilegeReviewTeamhascompleteditsreviewofthematerials

I

currently within itscustody and controland awaitsfurtherdirectionfrom theCourt. Below,the

Privilege Review Team outlinesapotentialcourseofaction forresolving issuesrelated to the

potentiallyprivilegeddocum entsidentified inExhibitsA andB.

, Attom eysassigned to thePrivilegeReview Team ,including tmdersigned counsel,have

determinedthatthe21setsofmaterialsidentifiedinExhibitA (FILTER-A-OOItoFILTER-A138)areprimarilygovernmentrecords,publicdocuments,andcommunicationstoorfrom third

parties.As such,virtually none of those m aterials appears to be privileged attom ey-client

comm unicationsorprotectedundertheattorzleyworkproductdoctrine.Therearetwoclosercalls,

j '

whichinvolvecommtmicationstoaWhiteHousegovernmente-mailaccolmt(implicatingwaiver)

(Item 18atFILTER-A-O6ItoF1LTER-A-064)andabriefmessagefwm apossibleatlorney

(ç1Rudy'')thatdoesnotappear,onits.face,toberelatedtolegaladvicç(ltem 21atFILTER-A7

iI

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 7 of 10
133).BeforedisclosingthematerialsidentisedinExhibitA totheCaseTeam,however,and

consistentwith thesearch procedlzresdescribed in theAffidavitgthePrivilege Review Tenm is

preparedtodiscloseaBates-stampedcopyoftheExhibitA m aterialstoPlaintiff'scounsel,sothat

Plaintiffandllisattom eysm ayreview them aterialsand,ifappropriate,.asserttheattorney-client

privilegethroughaparticuladzedprivilege1ogthatidentifiesthecontrolnumbersofthem aterials

andthebasisforasserting they areprivileged. lfany such doctlm entsareidentified,consistent

withthelocalrulesandparagraph84(c)oftheAffidavit,thePrivilegeReviewTenm wouldatlempt

toresolvetheissuethroughconsultationwithPlaintiff'scotm sel.lftmabletoreachanagreem ent,

thePrivilegeReview Team would submitthedocumentsatissueundersealtotheCourt.lo

9undertheproceduressetforth intheAffidavit:

lf the Privilege Review Team detennines that docllments are

potentially attom ey-clientprivileged orm eritfurtherconsideration

inthatregard,aPdvilegeReview Tenm attorneym aydoanyofthe

folowing:(a)applyexpartetothecourtforadeterminationwhether

ornotthedocumentscontainattomey-clientprivilegedmaterial;(b)

deferseekingcoul'tinterventionandcontirmetokeepthedocllm ents

inaccessible to law-enforcem ent personnel assigned to the

investigation;or(c)disclosethedoclmentstothepotentialprivilege

holder,requesttheprivilegeholderto statewhetherthe potential

privilege holder asserts attorney-client privilege as to any

dozum ents,includingrequesting aparticularizedprivilegelog,and

seek arulingf'rom thecourtregardingany attorney-clientprivilege

claim sasto which thePrivilege Review Team and theprivilegeholdercnnnotreach agreem ent.

(f#.!84.)

10BeforePlaintiffsM otion andtheCoud'sPrelim inaty Order, theUnited Stateswould

have subm itted any privilege dispute to the M agistrate Cottrtthatauthorized the warrantand

receivedtheJeturn.However,thePrivilegeReview Tenm now seeksdirectionâom thisCotu'ton

whereto5lematerialsrelated to anyprivilegedisputethepartiesarelmableto resolvebetween

them selves.

8

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 8 of 10
Astothedocumentsdescribed inExhibitB (FILTER-B-OOItoFILTER-B-383),the

PrivilegeReview Team proposestoreturntheoriginalsandprovideaBates-stnmpedcontrolcopy

tothePlaintiff.Manyofthesematerialsdonotappeartobeprivileged(althoughoneappearsto

bei1),butthey are a1leitherlegalin nature (e.g.,settlement,non-discloslzre,and retainer

agreements) or otherwise potentialy sensitive,and they do notappearto be themselves

governm entorPresidentialRecordsorclassified documents. ln lightofthispending litigation

relatedtothesearch ofthepremisesandthefilterprotocoland search procedtlres,thePrivilege

Review Tenm proposesto m aintain and continueto segregate from the Case Team astnmped

controlcopy oftheExhibitB m aterialsuntilconclusion ofany litigationovertheconductofthe

searchorothem iseorderedbytheCourt.SeeFed.R.Crim.P.41(g)(permittingacourttoimpose

reasonableconditionstoprotectaccesstorettzrnedpropertyan.ditsuseirtlaterproceedings).

Conclusion

ln sum ,the Privilege Review Team has completed review of m aterials identified as

potentiallyprivileged duringthesearch andduringtheCaseTenm 'sreview oftheevidenceinits

11specifically, ltem N umber33atF1LTER-B-351appearstobeprivileged.

9

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 9 of 10
ossession,lzhassegregatedthosematerialsfrom theCaseTeam ,

'

P andawaitsfurtherdirectionfrom

tlisCourtonhow toproceedwiththedoclzm entsidentifiedinExhibitsA andB.

Respectfullysubm itted,

DJAN ANTONIO GONZALEZ

UNITED STATESATTORN EY

By:

M tho .Lacosia

M an gingAssistantUnitedStatesAttorney-W PB

Court.No.A5500698

5, 00S* AustralianAvenue(4thFloor)

W estPalm Beach,Florida33132

Ph:(561)209-1015

email:anthony.lacosta@usdoj.gov

Is/BeniaminJ Hawk

BenjaminJ.Hawk

DeputyChiefforExportControlandSanctions

N ationalSecurityDivision

950PennsylvaniaAvenue,N W

W ashington,D .C.20530

N ew JerseyBarNo.030232007

Ph:(202)307-5176

Email:Benjarnin.Hawk@usdoj.gov

12W hilereview ofallpotentially privilegedm aterialsiscom plete, thePrivilegeReview

Team rem ainsavailabletosegregateandreview anyadditionalmaterialsidentifiedconsistentWith

thefilterprotocolssetforthinparagraph 84oftheAffidavit.

10

Case 9:22-cv-81294-AMC Document 40 Entered on FLSD Docket 08/30/2022 Page 10 of 10