Up to 400 years in prison in aggregate threatens former US President Donald Trump and his assistant, who were accused of conspiracy. Among the 38 charges – improper storage of classified documents.
National security-related documents were kept even in the shower and ballroom, they contained secret data on:
- US nuclear programs.
- The defense and military potential of the United States and foreign countries.
- Plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.
- Potential vulnerabilities of the US and its allies before a military attack.
Both the former US president and his aide, Walt Nauta, have been charged. writes Air Force. According to the court, in the additional list of possible penalties against the former head of the US administration, 37 points are indicated, and six against his assistant. Among other things, the defendants are charged with perjury and criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice. The indictment states:
“The purpose of the conspiracy was to have Trump keep secret documents he took with him from the White House and hide them from a federal grand jury.”
Prosecutors say that after leaving office, Trump took about 300 classified files to Mar-a-Lago, his oceanfront home in Palm Beach, which is also a private member’s club. Events were held there for tens of thousands of members and guests, including in the ballroom where the documents were found.
The indictment states that Mar-a-Lago “was not an authorized place” to store or discuss classified documents. Some files were stored on stage in the ballroom where events and meetings were held, and later in Trump’s bathroom and shower, office space, and bedroom. Twice during 2021, the ex-president showed secret documents to people without security clearance, including a writer and two employees.
At his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, which was also an “unsanctioned venue,” Trump is said to have demonstrated and described a “plan of attack” that he told others had been prepared for him by the Department of Defense. “As president, I could declassify it. Now I can’t, you know, but it’s still a secret,” Trump said, according to the audio.
Trump tried to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into the missing documents by suggesting that his lawyer “hide or destroy” them or tell investigators he didn’t have them.
The charges include a sentence of up to 20 years in prison under the most severe of the articles. In total, the former president could face up to 400 years in prison. At the same time, the charges against Trump do not include sanctions in the form of a ban on holding public office. Thus, he will be able to be elected to the presidency and take this position.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the investigation, said on Friday that laws protecting national defense information are critical and must be respected:
“We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.”
Shortly before the Justice Department released the criminal charges, two of Trump’s lawyers abruptly dropped out of the case without explanation, saying it was the “logical moment” to resign.
Trump’s first court appearance in the case will take place Tuesday in Miami, Florida, on the eve of his 77th birthday. This is the second criminal case against the ex-President of the United States, who is due to appear in New York next year in a state case over the payment of silence money to a porn star.
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