Donald Trump took classified documents on US 'nuclear programs': Report
Federal prosecutors unveiled a 49-page wide-ranging indictment of former United States (US) President Donald Trump on Friday, accusing him of endangering national security by taking secret documents on defense and "nuclear program" while leaving the White House in 2021. As per the charge sheet, Trump allegedly moved several classified government documents in cardboard boxes to his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence.
Why does this story matter?
This comes just a day after the US Justice Department lodged federal criminal charges against Trump on Thursday after a year-long probe into his alleged mishandling of classified documents. With this, the 76-year-old became the first former US president in the country's history to face federal criminal charges. Furthermore, this came three months after Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump showed classified documents to unauthorized individuals: Report
As per the indictment, Trump reportedly showed classified documents on US military operations and plans on at least two instances to people not authorized to see them at his Bedminster golf club. These files, concerning the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency, and Pentagon records, among others, were reportedly kept unsecured at Mar-a-Lago, which regularly hosted social events involving thousands of guests.
Want Trump to undergo 'speedy trial': Special counsel
"We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone," Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the landmark indictment against Trump, told AFP. Saying he wants to ensure that the 76-year-old receives a "speedy trial," Smith added, "Laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced."
Details on charges against Trump
The former US president currently faces 37 separate counts in the indictment, which includes 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information" relating to specific documents. Other charges against Trump include conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, and making false statements - all of which are reportedly punishable by up to 20 years in jail.
Details on classified documents Trump took
"The classified documents Trump stored in the boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries," according to the indictment. "The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources," it reportedly said.
Trump to attend next week's court hearing: Report
The former US president is set to appear in court for the first hearing in the case on Tuesday in Miami. As per ABC News, the case will initially be heard by Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge who made rulings in favor of the 76-year-old during a court review of documents seized during a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on Mar-a-Lago in 2022.
Around 300 classified documents recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence
To recall, officials arrived at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022 with a search warrant and confiscated more than 33 boxes and containers with a reported total of 11,000 documents, including nearly 100 classified documents. It was also learned that close to 300 documents that were marked as "classified" were seized from the former US president's possession.
