Former US President Donald Trump is facing 37 counts in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. Federal prosecutors accused him of illegally possessing top secret files on US nuclear and defense programs, according to the unsealed indictment released on Friday. The Justice Department said that when Trump left the White House in January 2021, he took with him highly classified files from the Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies.
According to the indictment filed in federal court in Florida, Trump kept them unsafe at his Mar-a-Lago residence and club in Florida, where he regularly hosted large social events with thousands of guests. On at least two occasions he showed classified documents on US military operations and plans to people who were not allowed to see them at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club.
The indictment states that, the documents Trump took included “information about the defense and weapons capabilities of the United States and abroad, the United States’ nuclear programs, the potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack, and planning for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.” It states that, “Unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put America’s national security at risk.”
Trump has been indicted on 37 counts, including knowingly withholding national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, falsely concealing documents and making false statements.
The charges, filed by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison on each count. Trump aide Walt Nauta has been charged with six counts of helping Trump hide the documents.
