Former President Donald Trump was indicted Thursday in a case involving his handling of classified documents. Trump was already the President in American history to be impeached twice. These indictments also make him the first former U.S. president to face federal criminal charges. Despite that scandal, it was also announced this week that Trump, who is seeking to be the Republican nominee for President for a third consecutive time, will be the guest speaker for the Alabama Republican Party’s annual summer dinner fundraiser.
The Biden Department of Justice unsealed the indictment Friday, ahead of Trump’s expected appearance in court next Tuesday. Trump has been indicted on 37 charges of mishandling classified documents.
Throughout Trump’s presidency, newspaper clippings, press clippings, notes, letters, pictures, etc., were stored in cardboard boxes. Among those materials were hundreds of classified documents. The boxes were then shipped to the President’s resort at Mar-O-Lago, Florida which is a violation of existing federal law.
The documents include information on the defense capabilities of the United States and other nations, the U.S. nuclear program, the military weaknesses of the United States military and those of our allies as well as what the U.S. response would be to an attack or an attack on our allies.
The bulk of the 37 charges in the 49-page indictment, unsealed Friday afternoon, relate to willful retention of national defense information — a violation of the Espionage Act. The charges also include conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in an investigation, scheming to conceal, and false statements. Trump aide Walt Nauta also was indicted.
“Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced,” special counsel Jack Smith said.
The special counsel alleges that the classified documents were spilled out on the floor at the Mar-A-Lago resort.
The Trump defense team maintains that the documents were at Mar-O-Lago, which is secured by the U.S. Secret Service, and had not been published or made available to outside entities. Trump has vigorously denied any wrongdoing.
U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, Aileen Cannon, has initially been tapped to oversee the case against Trump. Cannon is a Trump appointee.
Also on Friday, Trump attorneys, Jim Trusty and John Rowley, announced that they were exiting the case, saying that the indictment on Friday, were a logical exit point.
“Now that the case has been filed in Miami, this is a logical moment for us to step aside and let others carry the cases through to completion,” the attorneys wrote in a joint statement.
“I want to thank Jim Trusty and John Rowley for their work, but they were up against a very dishonest, corrupt, evil, and ‘sick’ group of people, the likes of which has not been seen before,” Trump wrote. “We will be announcing additional lawyers in the coming days. When will Joe Biden be Indicted for his many crimes against our Nation? MAGA!”
Despite the legal crowds encircling Trump, he is still going to be welcomed by the Alabama GOP in August.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said on Facebook, “We are so excited that President Donald J. Trump has agreed to come back to Alabama for the Alabama Republican Party! We are still finalizing details, so be sure to sign up for updates so you’ll know when tickets go on sale.”
The Summer Dinner is tentatively scheduled for August 4, 2023, in Montgomery.
Trump still has solid support in Alabama, which he won in a landslide in both 2016 and 2020.
Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) said on Facebook Thursday night, “Tonight’s news is another alarming chapter in the complete weaponization of our government. Biden’s corrupt Justice Department has gone after parents, Catholic parishioners, pro-life Christians, and now his top political opponent. America’s political battles belong at the ballot box, not in the hands of Biden’s DOJ.”
Trump’s chief GOP rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, was hosted by the Alabama GOP in Hoover last March.
Trump is also facing indictments brought by the New York District Attorney in an unrelated case. There is also a federal investigation into his role in the alleged attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results.
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