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Trump announced Thursday evening (local time) that he had been charged in the classified documents affair. The Federal Police FBI had searched Trump’s private residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida in August and seized several classified information, some of them at the highest level of classification.
Because the Republican kept the documents in his private home long after he left office, he would have committed a criminal offense. The indictment against Trump and his associate Walt Nauta includes 37* counts, writes “CNN”.
He faces 31 counts of willfully withholding national defense information. He would also have shown secret documents to other people. The documents discussed, among other things, possible vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies. For example, information about the defense and weapons capabilities of the US and other countries, including US nuclear programs.
The US Justice Department accuses Trump of conspiracy to obstruct the investigation of the secret government documents affair. Some charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Trump allegedly suggested that his lawyer “hide or destroy” the documents. This hindered the investigation.
The background is the affair surrounding Trump’s handling of classified government documents after he left the White House. The indictment says some boxes of intelligence documents were temporarily stored in a room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate where public events were held. A June 2020 document seized from Trump contained information about another country’s nuclear capabilities. Special Counsel Jack Smith is due to comment on the indictment at 9 p.m. (CEST).
Now came the historic indictment. It is the first time that a federal charge has been filed against a former US president. Trump was already indicted at the state level in New York in April for paying hush money to a porn star. In a civil suit a few weeks ago, the court held him responsible for assault. So far, the allegations related to the documents carry the heaviest legal weight.
However, other cases against Trump are being investigated in connection with his efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election. So more charges could potentially follow – and they could also be dangerous for him. (jwg/SDA)
*Initially, the media spoke of 38 charges. The error has been corrected.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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