Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been indicted on seven criminal counts related to the mishandling of classified documents at his Florida estate, according to sources familiar with the situation. Although the Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the indictment, Trump’s lawyers were reportedly contacted by prosecutors shortly before he made the announcement on his Truth Social platform. This marks the first time a sitting or former commander-in-chief has faced federal charges, posing a significant legal threat as Trump seeks to reclaim the White House.
The indictment, resulting from a monthslong investigation by special counsel Jack Smith, centers on allegations that Trump retained hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach property, after leaving the White House. The FBI had seized around 100 of these documents in August the previous year. Prosecutors also scrutinized whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records. Trump and his team have maintained that he had the right to keep the classified documents and have alleged, without evidence, that he had declassified them.
This development adds to Trump’s deepening legal jeopardy, as he is already facing indictments in New York and other ongoing investigations in Washington and Atlanta. The charges raise the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence for the former president, who has been fundraising for his 2024 presidential campaign within minutes of the announcement. Trump vehemently denies any wrongdoing, calling the investigation a “witch hunt.”
The indictment presents a historic moment for the Justice Department, which had never before charged a former president with a crime. Attorney General Merrick Garland has repeatedly emphasized that no person, including a former commander-in-chief, should be considered above the law, while Trump has claimed that the cases against him are politically motivated. The Mar-a-Lago probe has been viewed as one of the most likely to result in an indictment due to the evidence amassed by the Justice Department, including grand jury testimonies.
Besides the Mar-a-Lago investigation, Trump faces additional legal challenges, including a separate special counsel probe focused on attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and an investigation by the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County regarding alleged efforts to subvert the election in that state.
The return of the classified documents from Mar-a-Lago has been a contentious issue, with Trump and his lawyers resisting efforts by the National Archives and Records Administration to retrieve them. While some records were returned in January 2022, officials suspected that more remained. Surveillance footage revealed the movement of boxes from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago, leading to further suspicion.
Compared to the handling of documents by President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump’s case stands out due to the allegations of obstruction and his refusal to fully cooperate with document requests. The investigation draws parallels to the special counsel investigation into Trump’s conduct as president regarding potential obstruction of the Russia probe.
The indictment against Trump significantly impacts the Republican presidential primary, where he has been dominating, and it thrusts him back into the political spotlight. The immediate and long-term political consequences remain uncertain, but the legal battle ahead will undoubtedly shape the landscape of the 2024 presidential race.