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| Former President Trump disembarks his plane on May 1 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Photo: |
President Donald Trump made an initial court appearance at 3 pm today at the federal courthouse in Miami.
Former President Donald Trump’s indictment on federal charges was unsealed on Friday. He has been charged on 37 counts related to classified information and sensitive government records found at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after he left the left White House in January 2021 ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
In the lead up to the unsealing of the indictment voted by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida, the investigation of the Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents case brought to light several key findings and crucial developments.
A TIMELINE: TRUMP’S INDICTMENT IN THE MAR-A-LAGO DOCUMENTS CASE
The 49-page federal indictment of former President Donald Trump lays out a stunning timeline of events, detailing allegations that he not only mishandled sensitive material, but also took steps to hide records and impede investigators.
DOJ unseals historic Trump indictment
On May 1, 2023, Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, gets off his plane, dubbed "Trump Force One," at Aberdeen Airport in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Previous President Trump lands his plane on May 1 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images On Friday, the Department of Justice released the federal indictment against former President Trump on charges connected to the investigation into how he handled classified documents after he left office.
What it means: The former president, who is currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential primary in 2024, faces the greatest legal threat from the more than half a dozen federal charges. This comes just two months after he was charged in a Manhattan criminal court for allegedly falsifying business records.
Driving the news: There are 37 felony charges against Trump in the 49-page indictment for retaining classified information and obstructing justice.
What was in the classified documents?
According to the indictment, during his presidency, Trump gathered and stored "hundreds of classified documents" in boxes, including letters, photos, and notes.
- "Included information regarding the defense and weapon capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries," according to the classified documents American nuclear programs; potential military attack vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies; and preparations for potential retaliation in the event of an outside attack."
- The documents could put U.S. national security, "foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources, and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods" in jeopardy, according to the indictment.
How the documents got to Mar-a-Lago
According to the indictment, some of the boxes shown above were kept in the ballroom of Mar-a-Lago. Photo: Screenshot courtesy of the Trump indictment. According to the indictment, when Trump left the White House, "scores of boxes, many of which contained classified documents" were brought to his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
- Trump was "actually involved" during the time spent pressing and moving boxes in January 2021, per the arraignment.
- The boxes containing classified documents were then kept "in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room" at Mar-a-Lago.
- The allegations against the Espionage Act According to the Espionage Act, the indictment contains 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information.
The Espionage Act allegations
According to the indictment, Trump kept classified documents that, among others, implicated the CIA, Department of Defense, and National Security Agency.
- According to the indictment, Trump also showed classified documents to other people twice in 2021. One of those times was at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he showed the documents to “a writer, a publisher, and two members of his staff, none of whom possessed a security clearance.”
- According to the indictment, "Trump showed and described a 'plan of attack,'" which Trump claimed was prepared for him by the Department of Defense and a senior military official.
- The indictment names Walt Nauta, an aide to Trump, as one of his co-conspirators.
One count of conspiracy to obstruct justice is pending against Nauta and Trump.
According to the indictment, "The purpose of the conspiracy was for [Trump] to keep classified documents he has taken with him from the White House and to hide and conceal them from a federal grand jury."
What Trump is saying Following the release of the indictment, Trump took to his Truth Social account to express his disapproval of special counsel Jack Smith, who has been in charge of the Department of Justice's investigation.
Trump claimed that he had "nothing to hide" and that the documents were his "personal records."
He wrote, "Nobody said I wasn't allowed to look at the personal records I brought from the White House." Smith, for his part, stated that the indictment "was voted by a grand jury of citizens in the Southern District of Florida" on Friday and requested that "everyone read it in full to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged."
What President Biden is saying The White House stated that President Biden was informed of the indictment by news reports.
- "The president, ranking staff figured out very much like every other person the previous evening. There was no prior warning that this would occur. Found out from news reports like everyone else in America,” Olivia Dalton, the principal deputy press secretary, told reporters.
- Biden responded, "Yes," when asked on Friday if he had spoken with Attorney General Merrick Garland. I have not addressed him by any means and I won't talk with him. I am unable to comment on that.
Peruse the prosecution: click here
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