According to reports, next week, there are indications that former President Donald Trump will face an indictment for mishandling classified documents. He is specifically accused of engaging in activities such as gathering, transmitting, or losing national defense documents. To challenge the predetermined outcome, his defense team has presented confidential evidence alleging misconduct by the prosecutors. Simultaneously, Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg is overseeing a confidential case related to allegations of a senior prosecutor manipulating a witness by offering a federal judgeship.
Trump vehemently denies the charges, labeling them as baseless and absurd, asserting he’s done “nothing wrong.” In striking contrast, President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence also possessed classified materials at their residences and workplaces, yet neither will face charges. This discrepancy fuels claims of an establishment-driven witch hunt specifically targeting Trump, further igniting controversy surrounding the former president and his 2024 candidacy.
Trump faces a looming indictment by Special Counsel Jack Smith, possibly becoming the first American president to be indicted in a federal court. This landmark event showcases Trump’s unwavering determination amidst unprecedented challenges and sets the stage for a significant Supreme Court battle.
Trump took to Truth Social, saying:
“HOW CAN DOJ POSSIBLY CHARGE ME, WHO DID NOTHING WRONG, WHEN NO OTHER PRESIDENT’S WERE CHARGED, WHEN JOE BIDEN WON’T BE CHARGED FOR ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT HE HAS 1,850 BOXES, MUCH OF IT CLASSIFIED, AND SOME DATING BACK TO HIS SENATE DAY WHEN EVEN DEMOCRAT SENATORS ARE SHOCKED. ALSO, PRESIDENT CLINTON HAD DOCUMENTS, AND WON IN COURT. CROOKED HILLARY DELETED 33,000 EMAILS, MANY CLASSIFIED, AND WASN’T EVEN CLOSE TO BEING CHARGED! ONLY TRUMP – THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!”
According to Just The News:
Smith’s prosecutorial team informed Trump’s legal team in recent days that the charges against the former president could include a violation of 18 U.S. Code Chapter 37 Section 793 that outlaws the “gathering, transmitting or losing” of national defense information. Other charges being considered involve alleged false statements and obstruction of justice, all claims the president and his team have robustly contested in public and in private.
Trump’s lawyers have prepared a robust defense based on months of legal research, anticipating Smith might pursue charges. Trump’s lawyers are prepared to argue that a president had broad powers under the Constitution to keep documents or declassify without any fanfare documents from his presidency and take them with him upon leaving office.
They will rely heavily on a U.S. District Court case in Washington more than a decade ago involving former President Bill Clinton that concluded a president had broad and mostly unchallengeable power to determine which documents from his presidency can be kept personally and that any documents moved to Trump’s homes in Mar-a-Lago, Fla., and Bedminster, N.J., fall under that category.
But one of the first disputes likely to be addressed is evidence the Trump defense team submitted to Boasberg in a secret court proceeding recently and to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s office Monday alleging a senior federal prosecutor working on the case discussed a federal judgeship with a defense lawyer for a key witness. Monaco’s office informed the Trump team in the last 24 hours that it was rejecting a request to delay the indictment so the allegation could be investigated.
The looming indictment of former President Donald Trump on allegations of mishandling classified documents sets the stage for a monumental legal battle. The validity of these charges is fiercely contested by Trump’s defense team, who argue that Trump, like previous presidents, had the constitutional authority to retain and even declassify certain documents from his tenure. They also allege prosecutorial misconduct, a claim the Department of Justice has rejected, maintaining that the indictment process will not be delayed.
