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Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on 37 counts, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements. The indictment was unsealed by Special Counsel Jack Smith on Friday.
Trump’s aide, Waltine Nauta, was also indicted on six counts. Trump has announced that he will plead not guilty to the charges.
The indictment claims that as President of the United States, Trump had legal access to highly classified documents and information collected by the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.
He kept a collection of these materials in cardboard boxes and among them were hundreds of documents classified as top secret, sensitive, and confidential. Unauthorized disclosure of this information could potentially harm American national security and the nation’s relations with other countries.
According to the indictment, Trump showed some of these documents to a group of individuals who did not have security clearance, describing one classified document as a ‘plan of attack’ prepared for him by the Department of Defense and a senior military official.
Trump told them the plan was highly confidential and secret. In another instance, he showed a classified map related to a military operation to a representative of his political action committee who did not have security clearance either. Trump warned the representative not to show the map to anyone or get too close to it.
The FBI opened a criminal investigation in March 2022 regarding the unlawful retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump stored some of the materials he collected during his presidency.
A federal grand jury issued a subpoena requiring Trump to turn over all classified documents marked as such, but he allegedly obstructed the investigation by suggesting that his attorney falsely represent to the FBI and grand jury that he had no such documents.
Trump also reportedly suggested his attorney hide or destroy documents called for by the grand jury subpoena and directed his aide, Waltine Nauta, to move boxes of documents called for by the grand jury subpoena.
The indictment claims that Nauta was Trump’s ‘co-conspirator’ and the former president’s valet at the White House. Smith alleges that Trump kept classified information original from several government agencies, like the CIA, Pentagon, and National Security Agency.
The FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago last August led to the seizure of 102 classified documents from Trump’s office and storage room, 27 and 75 respectively. The indictment alleges that Trump is guilty of 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, a serious crime that can attract severe punishment.
Trump is also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice aimed at keeping classified documents he had taken from the White House hidden and concealing them from a federal grand jury.
Both Trump and Waltine Nauta were charged with withholding document or record and concealing a document in a federal investigation. They were also charged with a scheme to conceal.
Trump was charged with making a false statement in June 2022 when he said a diligent search of Mar-a-Lago had been conducted and that any responsible documents were accompanied by certification.
The indictment states that Trump knew these statements were false because he had directed the removal of boxes containing the materials before his attorney conducted the search for documents with classification markings.
During Trump’s presidency, he gathered newspapers, press clippings, letters, notes, cards, photographs, official documents, and several other materials in cardboard boxes that he kept in the White House.
The indicted documents that Trump kept in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States, and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.
The indictment warns that 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 even human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.
Trump has denied the charges brought against him, and his attorney has been vocal in his support. Trump’s supporters, particularly Conservatives, will have differing views regarding the allegations against Trump. However, the law will have the final word, and Trump will have his day in court.
It’s also important to note that a fair trial with all the evidence presented before a competent court will provide the accused with a chance to defend himself. The accusations are serious, and if found guilty, Trump may suffer severe punishment.
The US government, past and present, has emphasized the significance of protecting classified information and ensuring that they’re not leaked to the public or hostile foreign governments.
Trump’s alleged possession and showing of classified documents to people who were unauthorized to see them is unacceptable and a betrayal of the public trust bestowed upon him by the American people.
In conclusion, former President Trump has been indicted on several charges related to the unlawful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements.
According to the indictment, Trump showed classified documents to unauthorized individuals, and he allegedly obstructed the investigation regarding his retention of such documents. Trump has denied these allegations and will plead not guilty.
The law will have the final say, and a fair, transparent trial will provide a chance to prove the allegations. The American people entrust public officials with sensitive national security information, and it’s essential to protect such information from unauthorized disclosure.