Former President Donald Trump in Des Moines, Iowa, June 1, 2023. CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP
Donald Trump is the subject of 37 charges, including “withholding information related to national security” and “obstruction of justice” in the White House Archives case, according to the indictment released Friday, June 9 .
“The secret documents that [Donald] According to that document, the information Trump kept in boxes contained information about the defense capabilities of the United States and other countries, as well as “American nuclear programs.” Prosecutors add that their possible “distribution would have endangered the national security of the United States.”
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A former personal assistant was prosecuted
Donald Trump said on Friday that a former personal assistant and possible key witness in the case would also be charged by the federal judiciary in the case. The former US President did not provide details on the allegations against Walt Nauta, a military officer who served during Mr Trump’s presidency before leaving the administration to continue working at his side after his defeat in 2020.
“I just learned that the Justice Department ‘thugs’ are going to indict Walt Nauta, a wonderful man,” Donald Trump responded on his Truth social network. They are trying to destroy his life, like the lives of so many others, hoping he will say bad things about “Trump.” According to ABC News, Walt Nauta was indicted by the same grand jury — a citizen panel with broad investigative powers that works with prosecutors — that prosecuted Donald Trump. The charges against Mr. Nauta are not known.
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“Indispensable witness”
According to the Washington Post, Walt Nauta is a “key witness” in the federal investigation, led by Special Attorney Jack Smith, that led to the indictment of the former president. According to the daily, Mr. Nauta was responsible for “moving” the boxes of documents containing the former president’s notes at the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where Mr. Trump has lived since leaving the White House.
US President Joe Biden said Friday he would not be in touch with Attorney General Merrick Garland over these historic allegations against his predecessor. Supporters of the former Republican president accuse Mr. Biden of using the judiciary ahead of the 2024 presidential election, which could see the two men clash again.