Federal Judge Grants Request For Third Party Review On James O’Keefe’s Phones Seized by FBI

A federal judge is siding with Project Veritas’ request to have an independent party review the cellphones that were seized by the FBI from the group’s founder James O’Keefe, Fox News reported.

District Court Judge Analisa Torres from the Southern District of New York ordered a “special master” on Wednesday to oversee the review of O’Keefe’s devices, citing “potential First Amendment concerns.”

“The Court recognizes, as other courts in this district have concluded, that ‘the Southern District prosecutors have integrity and decency,’ and the filter team alone could conduct the review ‘with utmost integrity,’” Torres wrote. “However, the Court determines that the appointment of a special master is warranted here because ‘it is important that the procedure adopted… not only be fair but also appear to be fair.’ … In light of the potential First Amendment concerns that may be implicated by the review of the materials seized from Petitioners, the Court finds that the appointment of a special master will ‘help to protect the public’s confidence in the administration of justice.'”
 
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