Trump appears in U.S. federal court on Tuesday (13) to hear charges of concealing secret government documents
Former US President Donald Trump traveled to the state of Florida this Monday (12). He will appear in federal court on Tuesday (13) to hear allegations of nondisclosure of government documents.
This Monday morning, surrounded by security forces, Donald Trump’s entourage left his golf club in upstate New Jersey and arrived in the city of Miami, Florida in the middle of the afternoon.
The security system was strengthened for the hearing on Tuesday (13). The former president will appear before a judge, be indicted and formally hear the 37 charges against him: 31 of them for violating the Espionage Act by deliberately leaking information related to national defenses, such as the United States’ nuclear arsenal and the country’s weaknesses , withheld in the event of a military attack. Three counts of preservation or withholding of documents from a federal investigation, two counts of false testimony and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
The Justice Department claims Trump endangered national security when he took hundreds of classified US government documents when he left the White House in January 2021. Documents were found in various parts of the house, including the bathroom.
For the first time in the history of the United States, a former president is being tried in federal court. In November 2022, a special prosecutor with experience in trials against politicians was put in charge of the trial. He conducted all investigations independently at the Justice Department.
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Finally, Jack Smith presented all the evidence to a jury composed of randomly and impartially selected commoners. The jury considered the evidence heavy and ruled that the former president should be indicted and brought to justice.
If Trump is found guilty, he could be imprisoned. With sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years per charge. Trump claims he is innocent and a victim of political persecution.
William Barr, who served as Justice Department chief during the Trump administration, defended the independence of the investigation and said he was shocked by the level of sensitivity of the documents and their number.
“Even if half of it is true, Trump is a toast. These are very detailed and damning allegations. And the idea of Trump being portrayed as a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous,” Barr said.