Former US President Donald Trump faces a new legal challenge — this time from the government he used to lead — when he appears next week in federal court in Miami on charges of illegally retaining classified documents, obstruction and other crimes.
The indictment of a former US president on federal charges is unprecedented in American history and emerges at a time when Trump is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination next year.
Trump faces seven criminal counts related to his treatment of sensitive government materials he took with him when he left the White House in January 2021, according to a source. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday, a day before his 77th birthday.
Trump’s lawyer Jim Trusty told CNN the charges include conspiracy, false statements, obstruction of justice, and illegally retaining classified documents under the Espionage Act. He said he expects to see the charging document by Tuesday, when Trump is due in court.
Trump is the first president to face criminal charges. It is the second criminal case for Trump, who is due to go on trial in New York next March in a state case stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star.
ABC News, citing sources, reported that US District Judge Aileen Cannon has been initially assigned to oversee the case.It is unclear whether she will preside over the trial. Cannon, appointed by Trump in 2019, made decisions that favoured him in legal skirmishes during the documents investigation last year. Her rulings were overturned on appeal.
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