"First Former U.S. President"…Trump Indicted on Classified Document Leak Allegations

Political Fallout Expected Ahead of Next Year's Presidential Election
Trump Claims Witch Hunt... "I Am an Innocent Person"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been indicted in connection with the alleged leak of White House classified documents, according to sources cited by The New York Times (NYT) and others on the 8th (local time). This is the first time a former U.S. president has been charged in a federal court rather than a state court.

According to reports, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted former President Trump on charges related to the leak of classified documents. Trump himself wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, "The corrupt Biden administration informed my lawyers that I have been indicted."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The indictment was made in the federal court in Miami, Florida. Florida is where former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence is located.

Former President Trump is suspected of hiding numerous classified documents on private property and systematically obstructing investigators from finding them. The indictment reportedly lists seven charges, including obstruction of justice, making false statements, and willful retention of classified documents.

Earlier, Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice, had been investigating the classified documents seized from former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, along with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In May last year, a subpoena was issued demanding the return of all classified documents taken outside the White House by Trump, and two months later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a search of the Mar-a-Lago residence.

With this indictment, former President Trump will face an additional criminal trial following the hush money payment case related to a sexual misconduct scandal. In March, Trump was indicted on charges of paying hush money through his lawyer to prevent porn actress Stormy Daniels from revealing a past sexual encounter just before the 2016 presidential election, and for falsifying company records related to the payment. That was also the first time a current or former U.S. president was criminally charged.

The news of former President Trump's indictment comes at a time ahead of next year's presidential election, drawing attention. Trump is currently leading among Republican candidates in recent polls. Bloomberg reported, "This could completely upend the race to become the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, and if former President Trump is convicted, depending on the charges, he could be imprisoned or disqualified from holding public office."

Former President Trump denies all charges related to the classified documents leak and calls it a "witch hunt." In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on the day, he said, "I am an innocent person!" and added, "I never thought something like this could happen to a former U.S. president who is currently leading all other candidates, Democrat and Republican alike, in the 2024 presidential election polls."