Former US President Donald Trump indicted on 37 counts in classified documents case
1 min read 10 Jun 2023, 12:21 AM ISTThe charges against Donald Trump include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, and false statements
PremiumFormer US President Donald Trump has been indicted with 37 counts in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. The unsealed indictment, released on Friday, alleges that Trump unlawfully possessed classified files related to US nuclear and defense programs.
The Justice Department claims that Trump took these highly classified files with him when he left the White House in January 2021, including documents from the Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency, and other intelligence agencies.
The documents Trump took "included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries, United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack," the indictment said.
"The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States," it said.
The charges against Trump include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing documents, and false statements. Each count carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. Additionally, a Trump aide named Walt Nauta has been charged with six counts for assisting Trump in concealing the documents.
The most severe charges in this case can result in a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
According to prosecutors, after his departure from office in 2021, the former president allegedly presented a map to an individual associated with his political action committee, outlining a military operation in a foreign nation. Additionally, it is claimed that during that same year, Trump shared a military attack plan with a writer, a publisher, and two of his staff members who lacked the necessary security clearances.
āIām innocent and we will prove that very, very soundly and hopefully very quickly," Donald Trump said in a video post.
(With agency inputs)
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