Court lifts hold on classified records seized from Mar-a-Lago in Trump inquiry

The move clears the way for the justice department to assess whether criminal charges against the former president are warranted

In a stark repudiation of Donald Trump's legal arguments, a federal appeals court on Wednesday permitted the justice department's to resume its use of classified records seized from the former president's Florida estate as part of its ongoing criminal investigation.

The ruling from a three-judge panel of the US court of appeals is a victory for the justice department, clearing the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they consider whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of sensitive records at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. In lifting a hold on a core aspect of the department's probe, the court removed an obstacle that could have delayed the investigation by weeks, if not months.