Former US President Donald Trump is facing fresh legal troubles as he announced on Truth Social last Thursday that he has been charged by the Department of Justice for illegally retaining sensitive documents after his presidential term.

While this news has not yet been officially confirmed by the Department of Justice, an attorney revealed that he is facing seven serious charges, including “voluntary retention of documents,” “false statements,” and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Donald Trump claims that he is being summoned to a federal court next Tuesday for an indictment reading regarding the classified documents case. He already faced an indictment in the Stormy Daniels case last April and will have to appear during the Republican primaries in the spring of 2024.

United States : Donald Trump announces that he has been indicted by federal justice in the case of classified documents

According to Jim Trusty, an attorney representing Donald Trump, at least one charge against him stems from the Espionage Act, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. This law prohibits unauthorized or insecure retention of information related to national defense matters, and it also applies to confidential data even if not classified.

The National Archives has required all US presidents to hand over their documents related to their term at the end of their presidency since 1978. However, Donald Trump retained certain documents even after leaving office, which led FBI agents to conduct a raid at his residence in August 2022.

They discovered around 103 new classified documents, some of which were marked as “top secret.” According to The Washington Post, one of the files concerned the defensive nuclear capabilities of a foreign country, and another contained information about the “president of France,” although the contents of these documents remain unknown.

United States : Donald Trump announces that he has been indicted by federal justice in the case of classified documents

The former US president is also suspected by the justice system of taking Pentagon documents related to Iran with him, as reported in a CNN recording.

This new indictment could provide more ammunition for Donald Trump’s political opponents during the Republican primaries, particularly Ron DeSantis, but it would not affect his lead in the polls, where he is currently ahead with over 50%. Even if he were given a sentence, it would not prevent him from running for office.

«Je suis un homme innocent», assure Donald Trump en vidéo, après avoir annoncé son inculpation par la justice fédérale dans l'affaire des documents classifiés. Il dénonce une «interférence» avec l'élection de 2024, et répète que celle de 2020 lui a été «prise». pic.twitter.com/sf3I4OqYcK

— Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) June 9, 2023