Trump indicted over alleged mishandling of classified doccuments
US media reports say former President Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges in relation to his handling of classified documents after he left office.
US media reported on Thursday that the former president was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami.
Quoting people familiar with the matter, the New York Times said Trump was charged on seven counts, including obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim the documents.
The FBI seized a cache of documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last August. The US Justice Department appointed a special counsel to investigate whether Trump mishandled classified documents he retained after leaving the White House in 2021.
Trump reacted sharply to the indictment on his Truth Social media platform. He said, “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been indicted.” He said he never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former US president, adding, “I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!”
If the indictment is confirmed, Trump would become the first former or current US president to face federal charges.
In March, Trump became the first former or current US president to face criminal charges. He was indicted by a New York grand jury over an alleged hush money payment to a porn star who says she had an affair with the former president.
Attention is focused on how the indictments will affect Trump’s bid for the Republican candidacy for next year’s presidential election. As of Sunday, he ranked as the leading candidate for the Republican nomination with a 56 percent support rating from GOP voters.
