A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted former President Donald Trump, accusing him of mishandling classified documents he kept after leaving office.
This is reported by The New York Times.
Donald Trump himself confirmed the accusations against him on his social network. He said he has been ordered to appear in federal court in Miami next Tuesday. "I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!" - The ex-president of the USA wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Speaking on CNN, Trump's lawyer Jim Trusty said the former president's legal team had not been shown the indictment itself, but that the subpoena ordering Trump to appear in court contained "some language that suggests what the seven charges will be."
The case involves the former president's alleged storage of classified documents at his Florida residence and his alleged attempts to thwart authorities' efforts to recover them. The exact charges have not yet been made public.
However, the charges include knowingly withholding national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice, the sources said.
Last year, the U.S. government seized more than 300 classified documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, including some classified as "top secret."
This is the second time Trump, the first former president of the United States, has faced criminal charges. Two months ago, he was accused in a New York state court of paying money to a porn star. However, the second case is much more serious than the first, as it is a federal charge, not a state charge, as in the case of "porn money".
As president from 2017 to 2021, Trump is the favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Over the years, Trump has demonstrated an amazing ability to withstand scandals that could sink other politicians. He calls himself the victim of politically motivated persecution and accuses the Justice Department of partisan bias.
Trump's lead over his rivals in the race for the Republican nomination has widened since he was indicted in the New York case, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
