Former presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were on the cusp of indictment– where the judiciary submitted a list of charges for the necessary action against the acting presidents.
And now, after almost two decades, former President Donald J. Trump was handed a Target Letter, which officially informs him that the investigation against his alleged crimes has reached the last phase. This means that he would be facing the federal grand jury for further hearings.
In simple terms: Trump has been charged with unlawfully concealing classified government documents after leaving office in 2021. The Department of Justice formed a special counsel to investigate these charges and produce an indictment case against the former president.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has appointed Jack Smith to lead the case and present the necessary evidence personally; let’s just say Smith wasn’t there to play.
Accusations Against Former President Donald J. Trump
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is a famous hub for celebrities and elites to “rejuvenate.” But no one ever imagined that Trump would exploit the space for his ulterior motives.
Donald Trump is accused of storing classified documents in “a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room” in Florida.
These accusations also name Trump’s valet and aide, Walt Nauta, who carried out his orders of moving boxes brimming with records to “conceal them from Trump’s attorney, the FBI, and the grand jury.” Nauta is also included in the indictment facing a count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
January 2022: US National Archives and Records Administration demanded Trump return the boxes. He agreed to send 15 boxes. After this, the officials discovered 700 pages of “classified” marked records.
August 2022: FBI asked for a search warrant for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach. They seized almost 13000 additional records, out of which 100 were marked “classified” and some were marked “top secret.”
July 27, 2023: Trump officially declared that he is innocent on Thursday evening.
Charges Against President Donald J. Trump
Trump has been officially charged with 37 counts, mainly mishandling classified documents and obstruction of justice.
Smith’s Team formulated a chargesheet that contains–
- Unauthorized retention of defense information.
- Conspiring to obstruct justice.
- Withholding government documents.
- Scheming to conceal information from a grand jury.
- Causing false statements to be made to the government.
What Information Do The Mar-a-Lago Documents Include?
Smith issued a public statement–
“Our laws that protect national defense information are critical for the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced.”
“Violations of those laws put our country at risk.”
Although he did not reveal the exact contents of these official papers, he did disclose some vague subject matter, including–
- Defense and weapons capabilities of both the US and foreign countries.
- US nuclear programs.
- Potential vulnerabilities of the US and its allies to military attack.
- Plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.
Here is a simplified explanation of what Trump’s indictment means:
LATEST UPDATE ON TRUMP’S INDICTMENT
According to CNN reports, six names have resurfaced as co-conspirators in Trump’s crimes. These are estimations of who these politicians could be based on the description provided in the indictment.
- Rudy Giuliani: “An attorney who was willing to spread knowingly false claims and pursue strategies that the defendant’s 2020 re-election campaign attorneys would not.
- John Eastman: “Another attorney who devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the vice president’s ceremonial role overseeing the certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election.”
- Sidney Powell: “An attorney whose unfounded claims of election fraud the defendant privately acknowledged others that they ‘sounded crazy.'”
- Jeffrey Clark: “A Justice Department official who worked on civil matters and who, with the defendant, attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election investigations to influence state legislatures with knowingly false claims of election fraud.”
- “An attorney who assisted in devising and attempting to implement a plan to submit slates of fraudulent of presidential electors to obstruct an official proceeding.”
- “A political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit a slate of fraudulent presidential electors to obstruct an official proceeding.”
What is your take on this indictment? Do you think these charges are valid? Is Trump guilty of these charges? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.