Donald Trump's bid to have a special master look over documents seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago property was crushed by a federal judge on Monday.
Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon overturned her own earlier controversial ruling that sided with Trump and effectively delayed the Department of Justice's investigation.
The former president's lawsuit was dismissed for 'lack of jurisdiction,' according to the Monday court filing.
The judge's action is pursuant to a December 1 ruling that ordered her to toss her original September 5 decision.
Earlier this month, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a harsh rebuke of Cannon's original order to appoint a special master in the first place.
'The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so,' wrote the court.
It ruled that Cannon 'improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction,' and dismissed the proceedings.
The blistering opinion said the District Court's September decision lacked the legal footing to block the government from using 'lawfully seized records in a criminal investigation.'
Donald Trump has repeatedly dismissed the Department of Justice's investigation as a 'witch hunt'
The former president sued the federal government after FBI agents raided his Palm Beach, Florida estate in search of classified documents and other presidential records on August 8.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and attacked the search of his home as part of a 'witch hunt' against him.
The search came after months of back-and-forth between Trump's team and officials with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) over materials removed from the White House when Trump left office.
He was given a seven-day window to appeal the 11th Circuit Court's ruling but did not do so.
Cannon's ruling appears to be the final nail in the coffin for Trump's lawsuit, likely clearing the way for Justice Department investigators to access the documents seized over the summer.
Under her original order, federal agents were forced to pause their review until a special master could look over the pages for potential privilege claims.
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