The legal fence againstformer president and candidate for the Republican nomination, Donald Trump, is closing and his indictment will be a matter of days, after federal prosecutors notified him in writing that he is at the center of a criminal investigation and, finally, filed criminal charges against him.
Trump himself confirmed this Thursday afternoon thatDepartment of Justice (DOJ) informed him that criminal charges will be filed against him andHe must appear next Tuesday in a federal court in Miami, at 3 p.m.
"I never thought it possible that something like this could happen to a former president of the United States, who received many more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country, and is currently leading, by far, all candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, in the 2024 presidential election polls. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!" Trump wrote in a statement.
He added that it is a dark day for the American nation. "We are a country in serious and rapid decline, but together we will make America great again!" concluded the statement, sent to the media and posted on its Truth Social network.
Sources linked to the case confirmed to US media that Trump had received a letter from the Department of Justice this week informing him that he was the subject of an investigation in the case of theHighly classified documents found during an FBI search at his Mar-a-Lago mansion last year. At the same time, a grand jury operated in Miami to hold interviews with potential people involved in the matter.
According to a source familiar with the criminal file,Trump would be charged with seven federal crimes.The indictment would include not only charges of withholding classified documents, but also obstruction of justice.
"This is a totally different case from the rest of the accusations we have seen against Trump in New York courts: it is the first case in history investigated and prepared by the Department of Justice against a president, and it means that there are underlying reasons for consider that Trump has committed serious crimes and could end up in jail," he told CyberCubalawyerWilliam Sanchez, who served as special counsel to the DOJ between 2004 and 2007.
The letter delivered to Trump was the most powerful sign that the special instructorJack Smith was close to reaching a decision on a criminal indictment of Trump for hiding dozens ofsensitive national security documents and orchestrate a plan to not hand them over to federal authorities.
This Thursday, several witnesses confirmed the presence of the lawyerDavid Harbach outside the Miami federal courthouse where the grand jury is in session. Harbach is a key member of Smith's team and joined the investigation last January.
Teams of reporters were stationed early Thursday in front of the federal court in downtown Miami awaiting a possible outcome in the case.
Department of Justice regulations state that prosecutors have the power to alert people who may potentially be indicted in connection with a grand jury investigation, offering them the opportunity to testify and change existing information before it occurs. a formal accusation.
The warning letter is usually sent when the case is in its final phase and substantial evidence is found against that person who, in the opinion of the prosecutor, would be a possible defendant.
Trump's indictment marks aunprecedented historical fact in the history of the United States, as the first president against whom federal charges are brought.
The Justice Department has not yet made an official statement about the decision. A spokesperson for the entity declined to comment on the matter.
Numerous indications this week indicated that the criminal investigation process was heading towards the prosecution of the former president.
On Monday, Trump's lawyers met with Justice Department officials in Washington to discuss matters related to the ongoing investigation. It is a request that is usually made to seek a negotiated solution in cases with pending accusations.
The legal team left the building without comment. At least two witnesses said that the lawyers were able to meet with Jack Smith, but not with the Attorney General,Merrick Garland.
Trump confirmed the meeting shortly after during a radio program and the alleged accusation was questioned on his Truth Social platform.
"How can the DOJ indict me, who did nothing wrong, when no other president has been indicted?" Trump said.
In recent days, the existence of the grand jury in Miami, parallel to the one that has been working in Washington DC since last year, became known. The constitution of a grand jury in South Florida was revealed on May 19 and added an intriguing edge to an investigation that appears to be in its final moments.
On Wednesday,Taylor Budowich, who served as Trump's spokesman after his presidency and now runs a pro-Trump PAC, appeared in federal court in Miami to testify before the grand jury in connection with the classified documents case.
"Today, in what can only be described as a deeply troubling and disingenuous effort to use government power to 'get' Trump, I fulfilled my legal obligation to testify before a federal grand jury and answered every question honestly," he said. Budowich in a statement.
Lawyers and advisers for Trump and Trump Organization officials have been questioned by the Washington grand jury.
Smith, a veteran public corruption and war crimes prosecutor, was selected in November to serve as special prosecutor. He has a long history as the former head of the Justice Department's public integrity section and oversaw investigations into several prominent Democrats such asSenator Bob Menendez and the former presidential candidateJohn Edwards, which shields it from any criticism of political bias or favoritism.
But the file that Smith handles against Trump does not exclude the former president's implications in the events of January 6, 2021, whenA mob of his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol.
A congressional panel recommended prosecuting Trump as an instigator of the riot in his aspirations to reverse the results of the elections. 2020 presidential election.
However, there are other legal scenarios that Trump will have to face with possible criminal consequences, in addition to the one announced this Thursday.
An upcoming legal action is also expected from Georgia for the former president's alleged interference to force a change in electoral counting in the state, which Trump lost by more than 11,000 votes. The grand jury's findings have been in place for weeks, and criminal charges could occur as early as August.
Trump also faces atrial in New York state court, where he is charged with 34 felonies for fraud and falsification of business records. The former president has a hearing scheduled for January 2024.
The criminal proceedings put Trump's campaign to obtain the Republican nomination and return to the White House in 2025 on a tightrope, at a time when he is leading the voting intention polls in the primaries with an advantage of at least 30 percentage points.
The full indictment document can be read HERE
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