Trump in trouble: Unsealed indictment accuses him of keeping nuclear secrets, sharing security vulnerabilities

The federal prosecutors on Friday (June 9) unsealed the indictment of Donald Trump and accused the former US president of holdingtop secret nuclear and defence documents and endangering national security after leaving the White House and then schemingand lying to thwart government efforts from reclaiming the material.

Trump (76) is currently the frontrunner to win the Republican Party nomination to run for president in the 2024 elections. The 49-page charge sheet said that the former president took hundreds of classified government documents in cardboard boxes to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Watch | Trump held secret nuclear documents

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The indictment says that the files kept by Trump at his residence included records from the Pentagon, CIA and National Security Agency. The sensitive documents lay unsecured at the property which often hosted large social events.

Moreover, the indictment says that Trump showed sensitive documents on the US military and its plans to people who were not authorised to see them. This happened on at least two occasions at his golf club in New Jersey.

It says that Trump possessed the classified documents intentionally and showed them off to visitors boastfully. The indictment is built on Trump's own words and actions as recounted to prosecutors by lawyers, close aides and other witnesses.

Look. Secretinformation

The indictment alleges that during a meeting held in July 2021, Trump presented a document that he referred to as a "war plan" to a writer and a publisher. This document is believed to be connected to a specific country, which the indictment refers to as "Country A," — as per Business Insider, this is believed to pertain to Iran.

According to the indictment, during the aforementioned July 2021 meeting, the former president emphasised the confidential nature of the information contained in the document. He drew the attention of the group present by stating, "Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this."

Ex-prez faces 37 separate counts

Trump faces 37 separate counts in the indictment. These include 31 counts of "willful retention of national defence information". A conviction on each count has a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.

"We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone," said Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the historic indictment against Trump, the first former US president ever to face federal criminal charges.

"Laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced," Smith said, adding that he would seek to ensure that Trump receives a "speedy trial."

Other charges against Trump

Trump, who has the tag of the only US president to be impeached twice, also faces charges that include conspiracy to obstruct justice. It is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Trump also faces charges of withholding a document or record and making false statements.

Trump's personal aide, Walt Nauta, was named as a co-conspirator, and charged with six counts for helping Trump hide documents, which were kept at various locations in Mar-a-Lago, according to the indictment, including a ballroom, a bathroom, Trump's bedroom and a storage room.

"The classified documents Trump stored in the boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries," the indictment said.

Also Read | Two lawyers quit Donald Trump's defence in documents case, former aide indicted

Other records included information about US nuclear programmes and possible vulnerabilities of the US and its allies in the face of a military attack. The documents also contained plans for retaliation.

"The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources," according to the indictment.

(With inputs from agencies)

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