Donald Trump has been indicted again, this time in connection with his handling of classified documents after he left the White House.
The case stems from the former president’s alleged retention of sensitive national-security documents at his residence in Florida and his alleged efforts to impede authorities’ attempts to retrieve them. The precise charges are not yet public.
Last year, the federal government recovered more than 300 documents with classified markings from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, including some materials labeled “top secret” that the FBI seized in a raid months after Trump’s lawyers turned over 15 initial boxes of documents.
The new indictment comes two months after Trump was charged in New York state court for allegedly falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to a porn star. But the federal indictment in the classified-documents probe will differ in many respects from the New York charges and may carry far more severe legal risks for Trump.
Here’s what we know so far and what to expect in the coming days.
What crimes is Trump being charged with?
The indictment is under seal for now, but it is said to contain seven criminal counts. One of Trump’s attorneys, Jim Trusty, said in television interviews Thursday night that he had seen a summons document from prosecutors that summarized the laws Trump is being charged under.
Those laws include:
- A provision of the Espionage Act that prohibits the retention of classified materials;
- A statute that prohibits the obstruction of an official proceeding;
- A statute that prohibits falsifying or destroying records pertinent to a federal investigation;
- Statutes prohibiting false statements and conspiracy.
The statutes suggest that prosecutors are bringing charges that arise both from Trump’s handling of the classified documents themselves and from conduct that may have obstructed the government’s attempt to retrieve the documents or impeded the government’s investigation.
Where is Trump being charged?
Trump said on social media that he has been ordered to report to the federal courthouse in Miami next Tuesday. Miami is part of the federal district that includes Palm Beach, where Mar-a-Lago is located.
It’s possible that Trump could face further charges in Washington, D.C., where the documents investigation, led by special counsel Jack Smith, has been based and where a grand jury heard from numerous witnesses and gathered evidence in the probe.
