Miami: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in an investigation into his handling of classified documents. Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury for maintaining classified government documents and obstruction of justice after leaving the White House. This is Trump’s second indictment and the first federal indictment of a former president in the US.
This is arguably the most dangerous of the many legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. He has been indicted on seven federal criminal counts for possessing hundreds of classified government documents and even making false statements after leaving the White House. The seven charges against the former president include conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of documents and making false statements, according to people familiar with the indictment.
Trump posted on TruthSocial that he has been summoned to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon. Within 20 minutes of his announcement, Trump began fundraising for his 2024 presidential campaign.
‘I am an innocent man!’
“I never thought this could happen to a former President of the United States who received far more votes than any sitting President in our nation’s history and currently leads all candidates, both Democratic and Democratic. Republicans, in the polls for the 2024 presidential election. I am an innocent man! Trump wrote on the social media platform. “This is truly a dark day for the United States of America. We are a country in serious and rapid decline, but together we will make America great again!” he added.
on the case
The case deepens a legal crisis for Trump, who has already pleaded guilty in New York and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that could lead to criminal charges. As the prosecution moves forward, it will pit Trump’s claims of broad executive power against Attorney General Merrick Garland’s mantra that no one should be considered above the law, including the former commander in chief.
The indictment stems from a months-long investigation by special counsel Jack Smith into whether Trump broke the law by withholding hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump violated government efforts to recover took steps to prevent record.
Since then, the Justice Department has collected additional evidence and obtained grand jury testimony from people close to Trump, including his own attorneys. The laws governing classified records and interceptions are felonies that can lead to years in prison in the event of a conviction.
‘I and every American who believes in the rule of law stand with President Trump’
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has pledged to use his position to come to Trump’s defense, echoing the former president’s claims that the impeachment was politically motivated. Describing it as a “black day” for the country, the top Republican in the House tweeted, “It is unconscionable to impeach a major candidate who opposes him for President.” Claiming that Biden also kept classified documents, he said, “House Republicans will hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.”
The classified documents were moved from the White House to the Florida Club at Mar-a-Lago, along with thousands of other declassified government records, after Trump leaves office in January 2021. The Justice Department has said that Trump and his lawyers resisted repeated efforts by the National Archives and Records Administration to recover the documents. After months of back-and-forth, Trump’s representatives returned 15 boxes of records in January 2022, containing about 184 documents that officials said had classified markings on them.
(with AP inputs)