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Donald Trump indicted: What to know about the documents case and what’s next



HO CHI MINH CITY: Donald TrumpHis indictment for mishandling classified documents at his Florida mansion has drawn renewed attention to one of the most remarkable cases in Justice Department history.
The federal charges represent the biggest legal danger to date for Trump, coming less than three months after he was charged in New York with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Here’s a look at the charges, the special counsel’s investigation, and how Trump’s case differs from those of other politicians known to possess classified documents:

WHAT IS FEES?

Trump has been charged with seven counts related to mishandling classified documents, according to two people familiar with the indictment but not authorized to speak publicly about it. One person said the allegations themselves are unclear and remain sealed.
Trump announced Thursday night on his social networking site Truth Social that Justice Department lawyers had informed his legal team that he had been indicted. He said he will appear in court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon.
It is unclear if anyone else will be charged in the case.

HOW HAS THIS CASE HAPPENED?

National Archives and Records Administration officials contacted Trump’s representatives in the spring of 2021 when they realized that important documents from his time in office were missing from their collection. their set.
Under the Presidential Records Act, White House documents are considered property of the United States government and must be preserved.
A Trump representative told the National Archives in December 2021 that presidential records were found at Mar-a-Lago. In January 2022, the National Archives obtained 15 boxes of documents from Trump’s home in Florida, then told Justice Department officials that they contained “a lot of” classified documents.
That May, the FBI and the Justice Department issued subpoenas for the remaining classified documents in Trump’s possession. Investigators who visited the property a few weeks later to collect files were provided with about three dozen documents and an affidavit from Trump’s attorneys corroborating that the requested information was paid. again.
But that assertion turned out to be false. With a search warrant, federal officials returned to Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 and seized more than 33 boxes and boxes containing a total of 11,000 documents from an archive and an office, including 100 confidential documents.
In total, about 300 documents marked as classified — including some at the top secret level — have been recovered from Trump since he left office in January 2021.

HOW IS A SPECIAL CONSULTANT PARTICIPATED?

Last year, the US Attorney General Merrick’s Wreath select Jack Smitha veteran war crimes prosecutor with experience in public corruption investigations, to lead investigations into the presence of classified documents on Trump’s Florida estate, as well as key aspects of a separate investigation related to the January 6, 2021 uprising and efforts to annul the 2020 election.
Smith’s appointment is Garland’s recognition of the politics involved in the investigation of the former president and current White House candidate. Garland himself was chosen by the Democratic President Joe Bidenwho Trump is looking to challenge to the White House in 2024.
The Special Counsel is appointed in cases where the Department of Justice finds itself in conflict or when it is deemed in the public interest to involve outsiders and take responsibility for an issue.
Under the Code of Federal Regulations, a special counsel must have a “reputation for integrity and impartial decision-making,” as well as a “adequate understanding of criminal law and Department of Justice policies. “

WHAT IS FIXED?

An indictment is a formal charge against someone after a grand jury — consisting of members of the public — votes and a sufficient number of members agree that there is enough evidence to convict a person. some.
The indictment against Trump remains sealed. But once the document is made public, it will outline the crime or crimes that Trump is accused of committing. Sometimes indictments include a lengthy narrative with lots of detail about the allegations, while other indictments are more basic and outline only the charges the defendant is facing.

BIDEN AND EXCELLENT VICE PRESIDENT MIKE Pence HAVE NO CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS?

Yes, but the circumstances of their cases are vastly different from those involving Trump.
After the classified documents were found at Biden’s research institute and Pence’s home in Indiana, their attorneys informed the authorities and quickly arranged to hand them over. They also authorized other searches by the federal government to find additional documents.
There is no indication that the records existed before they were found, and so far there is no evidence that Biden or Pence sought to conceal the discoveries. That’s important because the Department of Justice has historically looked for willfulness in deciding whether to bring criminal charges.
A special counsel was appointed earlier this year to investigate how classified documents got to Biden’s former home and office in Delaware. But even if the Justice Department determined Biden’s case was indictable based on evidence, the Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that a president was not indicted during his time in office.
As for Pence, the Justice Department informed his legal team earlier this month that it would not criminally prosecute him over his handling of the documents.

DOES THE FEDERAL INDICATION PREVENT TRUMP FROM THE PRESIDENT RUN?

Are not. The indictment or conviction by itself will not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
And as the New York case has shown, criminal charges have historically benefited his fundraising. The campaign announced that it had raised more than $4 million in the 24 hours after that indictment was made public, breaking the previous record following an FBI raid of the Mar-a-Lago club. of Trump.

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