Indictment: What are the charges facing Donald Trump?

By Coic Chibueze On Jun 9, 2023

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden gestures after speaking during election night at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, early on November 4, 2020. - Democrat Joe Biden said early Wednesday he believes he is "on track" to defeating US President Donald Trump, and called for Americans to have patience with vote-counting as several swing states remain up in the air. "We believe we are on track to win this election," Biden told supporters in nationally broadcast remarks delivered in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware, adding: "It ain't over until every vote is counted." (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Obstruction. keeping records that are classified. Conspiracy. False assertions. The first former US president to be charged with a federal crime is Donald Trump.

What is known about the allegations against 76-year-old Trump, who is the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, and what will happen next are as follows:

The expenses

Trump’s decision to keep certain classified documents after he left the White House in January 2021 is what has led to the explosive legal and political situation.

The FBI conducted a raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after he refused to turn over hundreds of documents as ordered.

A grand jury in Florida indicted the twice-impeached Trump after an investigation by special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump is scheduled to appear in court in Miami on Tuesday, and although the indictment has not yet been unsealed, one of his attorneys claims that Trump is charged with seven crimes.

While Trump is not charged with spying, Jim Trusty noted in an interview with the Cable News Network that some of the allegations involve alleged violations of the Espionage Act.

These include keeping “national defence information” illegally on file and hiding records with the purpose of thwarting or impeding a federal investigation.

Without going into further detail, Trusty stated that additional charges include conspiring, lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and tampering with witnesses.

The New York Times reports that if Trump ignores the subpoena to turn over the records to the National Archives, he could also be charged with mishandling official records and contempt of court.

While obstruction is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, retaining classified documents carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

While mishandling official documents is punishable by up to three years in prison and contempt of court by up to six months, conspiracy and making false statements each carry sentences of up to five years.

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what takes place next

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Trump indicted in investigation into classified documents Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT), at which time the indictment will be made public, barring an earlier disclosure.

Trump’s attorney, Trusty, stated that the US Marshals Service and the Secret Service were working on the logistics of the former president’s court appearance to “make this as smooth as possible.”

He will appear, Trusty assured. He is aware of his innocence. He is aware that this is untrue.

Trump is most likely to enter a not guilty plea during the federal judge’s hearing on Tuesday.

The judge would then devise a schedule for the discovery process, in which the prosecution turns over evidence to the defence, and pretrial hearings.

Legal experts warned that the case’s discovery procedure could be particularly challenging because it involves documents that purportedly contain some of the most closely guarded secrets in the nation.

According to the New York Times and Washington Post, Aileen Cannon, a 42-year-old judge who was appointed by Trump, will initially handle the case. Cannon previously rendered decisions in favour of the former president during a court review of records seized during the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.

There is nothing stopping Trump from running for president despite being charged with a crime while the trial is still months away from starting.

Trump’s additional legal issues

Trump faces other legal issues in addition to the case involving the documents.

The real estate tycoon was charged with falsifying financial records in connection with payments of hush money to a former porn star in New York in March.

Smith, the special counsel, is also examining whether Trump should be charged in connection with his supporters’ assault on the US Capitol in January 2021.

Additionally, Georgian prosecutors are looking into possible illegal efforts by Trump to rig Georgia’s 2020 presidential election.