Former President Donald Trump was indicted as part of a federal investigation into the 2024 GOP frontrunner’s retention of troves of classified documents from his time in the White House, the former president said on Truth Social Thursday night. CNN subsequently confirmed he has been indicted.
Trump’s attorneys were notified on Wednesday that the former president was a target of an investigation regarding the classified materials. A federal grand jury has been investigating Trump’s retention of classified materials and the Justice Department’s notification of an ongoing investigation often coincides with the opportunity to present evidence before such a grand jury.
Trump has been indicted on seven charges in the Southern District of Florida, including illegal retention of classified documents, obstruction, and conspiracy,” according to ABC News.
The investigation surrounds a raid on Trump’s private Florida residence in August of 2022, when federal authorities seized some 13,000 documents from Mar-a-Lago. At least one hundred of those documents were reportedly marked classified and Trump had later been caught on tape discussing a document in his possession and noting he couldn’t share its contents as he had no right to declassify it since leaving office.
Trump’s saga with the documents began back in January of 2022 when he handed over some 15 boxes after they were requested by the National Archives. According to the Presidential Records Act of 1978, all materials related to a president’s time in office are public property and must be handed over to the National Archives for preservation.
The Archives sought additional records after Trump initially handed over some of what was in his possession. In April of 2022, the DOJ first began to investigate Trump’s retention of classified documents as the Archives continues to press for more documents to be returned. In early June of 2022, Trump’s lawyers give a certified letter to authorities claiming that after “a diligent search” of Mar-a-Lago “any and all responsive documents accompany this certification.” That declaration signed by former OAN host turned Trump lawyer Christina Bobb, of course, turned out to be false as thousands of more documents were later seized from the property.
Trump is not only the first former president to be indicted, but the first former president to be indicted twice. Trump pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in state court in New York in April for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up hush money payments related to porn star Stormy Daniels.
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