FBI arriving at Mar-a-Lago (AP)

A court document issued by the US Justice Department disclosed that classified records obtained from former US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida were "likely hidden" to prevent the FBI from recovering the material for the federal investigation.

The 36-page document file stated that evidence obtained by the government showed the top-secret records were most probably concealed and moved from the Storage Room and that "efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation."

A photograph of the documents seized from the Florida residence was released by the Department of Justice on August 8, which reveals several documents with classified cover sheets that read "Top Secret". One of the documents acquired even had classified markings indicating human source intelligence (meaning that it is collected from interpersonal contact and that it is an FBI responsibility type of document).

The sensitivity of some of the documents was so high that FBI agents and Justice Department attorneys needed to have additional clearance and permission to merely review them. The search warrant, which was also made public, stated that federal officials were looking into potential violations of three distinct federal laws, including one that covers gathering, distributing, or losing defense secrets under the Espionage Act.

The FBI raid on Trump’s residence lasted 9 hours and entailed about two dozen boxes, including what it claimed were 11 sets of classified documents. The boxes included presidential records and other documents including "love letters" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a letter left by former US President Barack Obama, and a model of Air Force One.

Trump has since then denied there were classified documents at the Mar-a-Lago residence, claiming that the raid was a continuation of the Democrats’ political ploy against him to prevent his candidacy for president in 2024. According to analysts, the FBI's raid on former US President Donald Trump's home has only strengthened his positioning in the next presidential election in 2024 in case federal law enforcement authorities fail to convict him on felony charges.

And the list goes on… #Trump pic.twitter.com/1NdUthK3Dd
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 11, 2022

The latest update concerns Trump taking the US government to court over the FBI's raid and search of his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump aims to initiate this bid to stop the federal agency from delving into the material seized from him until a special court official can be appointed to review the documents in question.

"The suit argues that the court should appoint a special master – usually a retired lawyer or judge – because the FBI potentially seized privileged materials in its search and the Department of Justice (DoJ) should not itself decide what it can use in its investigation," Trump's lead attorney told The Guardian on Saturday regarding the suit issued last Monday.