The Republican billionaire is the first former American president to be criminally indicted by the federal judiciary.
Donald Trump has taken the lead. The Republican billionaire candidate for a new presidential term announced Thursday, June 8, that he has been indicted by the US federal judiciary, a historic first for a former President of the United States. The former White House tenant is being prosecuted for keeping presidential archives in violation of American law. The indictment, released Friday, contains 37 counts, including “unlawful withholding of national security information,” “obstruction of justice,” and “false testimony.” The unprecedented scandal raises several questions.
What does the prosecution reveal about the content of the confidential documents kept?
Donald Trump has been accused of keeping confidential documents, including some involving military and nuclear secrets, after leaving the White House. The indictment against the former president is 44 pages long. We learn that the secret documents kept by the ex-president were very sensitive information. They contain, among other things, information about the United States’ nuclear programs, the defense and armament capabilities of the United States and other countries, the potential vulnerability of the United States and its allies to military attack, and plans for possible retaliatory action in response to a foreign attack.
Where were these Donald Trump documents kept?
The former president stored boxes of classified documents in different rooms of his luxurious residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Documents were found in his office, his bedroom, a closet overlooking his swimming pool, a bathroom, a ballroom and… his shower, according to the indictment.
They were stored illegally and in complete disregard for the security measures required for such sensitive documents. A photograph reproduced in the indictment shows stacks of boxes behind a toilet in a large bathroom.
In a brief televised address, Special Prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Jack Smith, recalled that “the laws are the same for everyone” and that those who “protect information related to national defense are essential”. Violating these laws “puts our country at risk,” he claimed, calling for a “speedy trial” for the former president.
How will this indictment affect the presidential campaign?
Donald Trump left no doubt. The Republican billionaire immediately dismissed the idea of throwing in the towel in the face of the allegations against him. The former president plans to return to his old post in 2024. Prosecutors hope he will be tried before American voters go to the polls. If he were elected again, the boisterous billionaire would have the opportunity to pardon himself, which could trigger an unprecedented constitutional crisis.
None of his contenders for the Republican Party nomination dared step into the breach. Reluctant to offend the ardent supporters of the ex-President, his former Vice President Mike Pence, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, they contented themselves with ranting at his side.
Where are the other cases Donald Trump is involved in?
The federal government is also investigating Donald Trump for his role in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Some American media outlets, like the New York Times, argue that the ex-president could also face racketeering charges in Georgia in connection with possible attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the country’s southern state.
In April 2023, the New York State judiciary had already charged the billionaire with accounting fraud as part of a 2016 payment to an X-Films actress, Stormy Daniels, to hide a possible affair.