Special master orders Trump lawyers to substantiate 'planted evidence' claims by Sept. 30

On September 22, 2022, special master Judge Raymond Dearie ordered Trump's legal team to submit a sworn declaration by September 30 identifying any specific items in the FBI's inventory of materials seized from Mar-a-Lago that they claim were not actually seized during the August 8 search, writing that the filing "shall be Plaintiff's final opportunity to raise any factual dispute as to the completeness and accuracy of the Detailed Property Inventory." The order followed weeks of public insinuations by Trump and allies that the FBI may have planted evidence, including an August 12 Truth Social post asking "Planting information anyone?" Forbes reported that, as of the order, "Trump has never offered any details of what he claims investigators planted during the search or made that allegation in court," and that his attorneys had likewise not raised the claim in any filing. In a Hannity interview the day before, Trump gave a noncommittal answer when asked whether security video would support the planting claim, saying, "No, I don't think so, they're in a room."

“This submission shall be Plaintiff's final opportunity to raise any factual dispute as to the completeness and accuracy of the Detailed Property Inventory.” Quote verified against source