Former US President Donald Trump has been charged again by the US judiciary. Trump wrote on the Truth Social portal on Thursday (local time) that he co-founded that his lawyers had been notified of the process, which apparently had something to do with the investigation into the affair of classified government documents. He maintained his innocence and called his successor Joe Biden’s government “corrupt”.
The FBI searched Trump’s private residence in Florida in August and seized several classified files, some with the highest level of confidentiality. The fact that the Republican kept the documents in his private home long after he left office could have prosecuted him. For months, the National Archives tried to obtain papers from the Trump administration. Trump’s lawyers eventually turned over documents — but by no means all of them, as the FBI search revealed.
Trump rants against government
“The corrupt Biden administration has informed my lawyers that I have been charged, apparently for fraud (of alleged classified documents) in boxes (…),” Trump wrote, without specifying who his team was in contact with. He was subpoenaed and was due to appear in court in Miami on Tuesday at 3 p.m. (local time). “I never thought it would happen to a former president of the United States (…),” he wrote. He added, “I’M AN INNOCENT MAN!” It was “a dark day” for the US.
Trump attorney Jim Trusty outlined possible charges against the ex-president in the classified documents affair. “We haven’t received any charges yet,” Trusty told CNN. Instead, Trump and his team received a subpoena with wording indicating possible charges. Trusty said he expects Trump to face charges including collecting, transmitting or losing defense intelligence. This point falls under the US Espionage Act and is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Other wording pointed to allegations of obstruction of justice and false testimony.
“Totally Lazy”
“Everything about this case is absolutely suspicious,” said Jim Trusty. His client immediately recognized that “this is a historic event crossing the Rubicon.” The U.S. Justice Department has become a weapon of the Democratic Party and serves the incumbent administration, Trusty said. He insisted that Trump was innocent.
Trump allies and other Republicans also expressed outrage. “The use of state law enforcement as a weapon poses a mortal threat to a free society,” said Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and Trump’s closest rival for the Republican presidential nomination. “For years we have seen unequal application of the law based on political affiliation. Why are you so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive toward Hillary (Clinton) or Hunter (Biden)?” Merrick Garland has been pushing since his appointment as attorney general. Using our Justice Department as a weapon against enemies of the Biden administration will do massive damage to the rule of law and have lasting consequences.”
Prominent Democratic member of the House of Representatives Adam Schiff, of course, struck a different note: “Donald Trump now faces federal indictment. He will try to exploit this charge for political purposes. Because winning the presidency may be his only hope of avoiding jail time. He must be accountable. There is a rule of law. Anything else is not democracy.”
Special counsel assigned to Trump
The US Justice Department appointed independent special counsel Jack Smith in November to outsource the politically sensitive investigation into Trump. On the one hand, Smith handles the investigations into secret government documents. On the other hand, he addresses Trump’s role in storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 and his attempts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. A commission of inquiry had recommended criminal investigations to the Ministry of Justice. He accuses Trump of rioting, obstructing a public trial and conspiracy against the US government, among other things.
Trump has long railed that his opponents are merely trying to prevent him from returning to the White House in 2024. In November, he officially announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. So far he is ahead in party polls – but a lot can still happen before the final decision is made.
Republican Speaker of the US House Kevin McCarthy said Donald Trump’s impeachment was a “dark day” for the United States. “Republicans in the House of Representatives will hold accountable for this brutal exercise of power,” he wrote on Twitter on Thursday (local time). He is on the side of the former president.
Further investigations are underway
Trump had already been charged in New York in connection with hush money payments to a porn star. However, further investigations against him are ongoing. In Georgia, prosecutors are investigating him for possible election fraud. In another case, Trump has already been prosecuted – at least indirectly: his real estate group was fined in New York for tax fraud, among other things.
Secret government documents from his time as Vice President under Barack Obama were also found with US President Joe Biden in buildings where they should not have been kept. An independent special investigator is also active here. In the case of Biden, however, there are significantly fewer documents. According to the White House, Biden has also not refused to hand over documents.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
