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Federal prosecutors released the full indictment against former President Donald Trump, detailing what he is being charged with in relation to the classified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago home last summer.
The 49-page indictment comes less than a day after the Justice Department brought criminal charges against Trump on Thursday, accusing him of mishandling presidential records by keeping them upon leaving office and then obstructing the government's efforts to retrieve them.
A federal grand jury indicted Trump on a total of 37 counts, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, making Trump the first former president to face federal criminal charges. In April, Manhattan prosecutors filed more than 30 felony charges against Trump in relation to hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
The other charges include one count each of conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations.
Trump confirmed the charges late Thursday, writing on Truth Social that, "The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been indicted." He also maintained his innocence in a video released on the social media platform.
Friday's indictment revealed that Trump allegedly stored documents across his Palm Beach estate, including "in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room."
Documents that Trump had in his possession included "information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its Allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack."
The indictment warned that the unauthorized disclosure of the records could jeopardize national security, the country's foreign relations, the safety of the U.S. military, and human intelligence sources.
Trump is expected to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday.
"Donald Trump continues to demonstrate his blatant lack of respect for the rule of law, process or the Constitution," former Trump attorney Michael Cohen told Newsweek. "The 37 count indictment should concern every American and, like any other citizen, Donald needs to be held accountable for these actions."
The indictment revealed that Trump aide Walt Nauta was also charged with six counts, including one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, one count of withholding a document or record, one count of corruptly concealing a document or record, one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation, one count of scheme to conceal and one count of false statements and representations.
Nauta was a former valet in the Trump White House who became Trump's personal aide in early 2021.
Read the full indictment here:
Update 07/09/23 3:29 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Michael Cohen.
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek senior reporter based in New York City. She has covered U.S. politics and culture extensively. ... Read more