The Justice Department has unsealed the indictment against Donald Trump for the case involving classified material at Mar-a-Lago. According to the document, 37 criminal charges are pending against the former president in connection with his mishandling of classified documents that he allegedly took with him from the White House. A federal grand jury in Miami is leading the prosecution.
The charges include "conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of documents and false statements." The publication of the document confirms Trump's statements, who announced his indictment the day before on Truth Social.
Judge Aileen Cannon will oversee the Mar-a-Lago case against former President Donald Trump. The judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida was appointed in November 2020 by Trump himself.
Cannon heads the official case along with Judge Bruce Reinhart, confirming the suspicions that several media outlets were raising throughout Friday. Bruce Reinhart was the judge who approved the Mar-a-Lago search warrant and kicked off the case regarding the documents that the former president allegedly hid in his exclusive Florida residence.
The indictment also lists Wal Nauta, who worked as a personal aide to Trump at the White House and later at Mar-a-Lago. Former President Trump also advanced Nauta's indictment through Truth Social prior to the unveiling of the brief from special counsel Jack Smith, who is in charge of the investigation.
Reorganization of Trump's legal team
In the midst of a judicial earthquake, former President Trump's legal team has undergone some changes. Prior to the release of the indictment from the federal grand jury in Miami, two of Trump's legal experts left the team.
Jim Trusty and John Rowley tendered their resignations along with a press release. "This morning we tendered our resignations as counsel to President Trump, and we will no longer represent him on either the indicted case or the January 6 investigation," the statement said. "It has been an honor to have spent the last year defending him, and we know he will be vindicated in his battle against the Biden Administration’s partisan weaponization of the American justice system," the statement concluded.
Trump yesterday: Indicted
Trump today: 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zrLhLa7zMn
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 9, 2023
Trump plays golf
Trump has not yet reacted to the release of the indictment. According to Fox News, the former president went out this Friday to play a little golf, looking calm despite the severity of the charges against him.
Jack Smith to seek speedy trial
A few hours after the charges against Trump were revealed, Smith gave his first public statements and urged Americans to read the indictment to"understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged."
The attorney also took the opportunity to praise his office staff for the way the investigation was conducted and insisted that the indictment is the result of everything that was found. "Nothing more and nothing less," he said. Likewise, Smith stated that his intention is to have a "speedy trial" and recalled the importance of presuming Trump's innocence until proven guilty.
"It's very important for me to note that the defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. To that end, my office will seek a speedy trial in this matter," he said.
#WATCH | Special Counsel Jack Smith speaks about the indictment of Donald Trump: pic.twitter.com/1dQUIVfngK
— VOZ (@Voz_US) June 9, 2023
How long will it take prosecutors to present their case?
Trump could pardon himself
In a statement to Fox News, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said that Trump could "turn this on his opponents" and even pardon himself if he wins the next presidential election. "If he’s elected, even if he’s convicted, he could pardon himself, or he could do so before a trial occurs," he said.
