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Photo of Donald Trump in May; Earlier this year he was a defendant in the Stormy Daniels case
8 hours ago
Former US President Donald Trump has been accused of handling confidential documents after leaving the White House.
Trump, 76, faces seven charges including unauthorized withholding of confidential documents, US media reported.
This is the second time he has been indicted since leaving the presidency and the first time he has been indicted in federal court.
Meanwhile, the Republican is gearing up to run for the White House again in 2024.
In a post on the social network Truth Social (part of his group of companies), Trump claimed he was innocent and reported that he was subpoenaed to appear in federal court in Miami next Tuesday (13).
“I never thought it possible that something like this could happen to a former President of the United States,” he wrote.
“This is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. We are a country in rapid and serious decline, but together we will make America great again!”
The Justice Department declined to comment on the report and the charges have not yet been released.
Among the next steps, according to Georgetown University law professor David Super, is Trump’s declaration of guilt or innocence. If he pleads not guilty, as expected, a trial date is expected to be set within the next two months.
However, according to Super, the news does not pose an obstacle to Trump’s presidential bid.
“He can be indicted countless times and that won’t stop him from running,” the professor says, adding that Trump could even be convicted and still run for the White House.
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has been collecting evidence since he was assigned to oversee the classified documents case in November.
Last year, Trump’s MaraLago Florida resort was raided and 11,000 documents seized including about 100 classified as confidential. Some of these were considered top secret.
It was reported last week that prosecutors received an audio recording in which Trump admitted to keeping a confidential document after leaving the White House.
It is against US law for federal agencies, including a President, to remove or store confidential documents in an unauthorized location.
Smith — a former war crimes attorney and known as a hardened investigator — is also overseeing another probe into attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election that the Republican lost to incumbent Democrat Joe Biden.
In April, Trump became the first former president to face criminal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts in connection with the alleged secret payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
He will appear in court in New York next year in the Stormy Daniels case.