Former president Donald Trump is on the news again again facing his second indictment over the mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House.
Though the charges have not yet been released to the public, sources say Trump faces seven charges including unauthorised retention of classified files.
This is stemming from the raid in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence last year, where 11,000 documents were seized, including about 100 which were marked as classified. Some of the files were labelled top secret.
It is against the US law for federal officials – including a president – to remove or keep classified documents at an unauthorised location. Donald Trump faces a maximum 10-year jail term if convicted of the second indictment.
Legal experts say the indictment, which is a document that sets out details of charges against a person, ensuring they have notice of alleged criminal offenses, will not stop his campaign and quest for presidency again.
“He can be indicted any number of times and it won’t stop his ability to stand for office,” says David Super, a professor at Georgetown University Law Centre.
David Super further added that Trump could still continue to run for office even if convicted in the documents case
In a post Trump shared on his Truth social on Thursday, Trump said he was innocent and had been summoned to appear at a federal court in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday afternoon, where he will be arrested and hear the charges against him.
“I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former president of the United States”.
“This is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. We are a country in serious and rapid decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!”, he wrote.
Donald Trump’s attorney Jim Trusty told CNN the former president had received details of the charges in a summons document.
According to him, some of the charges include conspiracy, false statements, obstruction of justice, and illegally retaining classified documents under the Espionage Act.
The Secret Service will liase with Trump’s staff and his security officers to plan his journey to the Miami court.
As news of Trump’s indictment filtered out, several Republicans were at his back, voicing their support for him.
Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives said it was “unconscionable for a president to indict the leading candidate opposing him”.
“House Republicans will hold this brazen weaponisation of power accountable,” he wrote on Twitter.
Trump’s rival for the 2024 nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also said: “We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation.
“The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponisation once and for all,” he added.
While Vivek Ramaswamy, also a presidential aspirant, said he will pardon Donald Trump immediatley he wins in 2025. I will “commit to pardon Trump promptly on January 20, 2025, and to restore the rule of law in our country”.
