This is a recent news story
that has been widely reported by various sources. According to the BBC, Donald
Trump has pleaded not guilty to historic charges of mishandling sensitive files
at a federal court in Miami, Florida. Mr Trump is the first US president -
current or former - to be hit with a federal criminal indictment. He was spared
a mugshot but was expected to be digitally fingerprinted and submit a DNA
sample by swab.
The indictment, unsealed on
Friday, accuses Mr Trump of willfully withholding 31 classified documents from
federal officials even after a subpoena was issued to recover the materials
from the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Some of those
documents included information on America's nuclear programs, the US military's
vulnerabilities and the White House's plans for retaliation in the event of an
attack.
The former president also
faces charges of obstructing justice and making false statements to FBI agents
who were investigating his handling of classified material. He allegedly conspired
with one of his aides, Walt Nauta, who is also charged in the case, to conceal
the documents from investigators.
Mr Trump has dismissed the charges
as a political witch-hunt meant to punish him for his 2024 presidential
ambitions. He has called Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the
prosecution, a Trump hater on social media. He is expected to face a trial that
could last for months or even years.
(1) Trump pleads not guilty in arraignment
over classified files.
(3) Trump pleads not guiltyto 37 federal criminal counts in Mar-a-Lago case.
(4) Trump indictment liveupdates: Former president pleads not guilty to federal charges.
The trial has not started
yet, but there have been some developments since the arraignment. According to
MSN, Trump must walk a careful line until the trial, as he was ordered by the
judge to avoid discussing the case with several people, including his
co-defendant Walt Nauta, his former national security adviser John Bolton, his
former attorney general William Barr, and his former White House counsel Pat
Cipollone. These people are potential witnesses in the case and could testify
against Trump.
According to The Guardian, Trump
has not found any new lawyers for his defense team, despite trying to recruit a
local Florida lawyer willing to join him. He is expected to be represented by
two of his existing lawyers, Todd Blanche and Chris Kise, who also defended him
in the New York state case. Trump has also been unable to find a specialist
national security lawyer who can handle the Espionage Act charges.
According to the BBC, Trump
may try to delay or dismiss the trial by using various legal strategies, such
as challenging the venue of the trial, claiming selective prosecution, or
invoking attorney-client privilege. However, these tactics may not succeed, as
the special counsel Jack Smith has a strong case against Trump based on
evidence from subpoenas, search warrants, recordings, and interviews. The trial
could last for months or even years, depending on how the case proceeds.