Former president Donald Trump faces 37 counts in connection with keeping hundreds of classified documents in his possession after leaving the White House. The bulk of the charges in the 49-page indictment, unsealed Friday afternoon, relate to willful retention of national defense information — a violation of the Espionage Act that pertains to whether individuals broke the rules for the handling of classified documents. The charges also include conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in an investigation, scheming to conceal, and false statements. Trump aide Walt Nauta also was charged. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
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End of carousel“Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced,” special counsel Jack Smith said in his first remarks on the indictment.
The evidence leading to the indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami includes an audio recording from 2021 in which he talks about an apparently secret document and says, “As president, I could have declassified it, but now I can’t,” a person familiar with a transcript of the remarks said Friday.
Two of Trump’s top lawyers said Friday they were quitting his legal team, moments after the newly indicted former president said he would be bringing on new lawyers.
The federal case against Trump for alleged obstruction and mishandling of classified documents is expected to be overseen at least initially by Judge Aileen M. Cannon — the federal judge in Florida who last year appointed a special master in the case.
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Skip to end of carousel
End of carousel“Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced,” special counsel Jack Smith said in his first remarks on the indictment.
The evidence leading to the indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami includes an audio recording from 2021 in which he talks about an apparently secret document and says, “As president, I could have declassified it, but now I can’t,” a person familiar with a transcript of the remarks said Friday.
Two of Trump’s top lawyers said Friday they were quitting his legal team, moments after the newly indicted former president said he would be bringing on new lawyers.
The federal case against Trump for alleged obstruction and mishandling of classified documents is expected to be overseen at least initially by Judge Aileen M. Cannon — the federal judge in Florida who last year appointed a special master in the case.
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