Donald Trump charged in Florida over classified documents case
Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury for retaining classified government documents and obstruction of justice, Reuters reported, citing a lawyer for the former U.S. president and another source familiar with the matter.
The criminal case, brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, amounts to another legal setback for Trump as he seeks to regain the U.S. presidency next year. He already faces a criminal case in New York that is due to go to trial in March.
Trump said on social media that he had been summoned to appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday. "I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
A spokesperson for Special Counsel Jack Smith, the Justice Department official who is handling the investigation, declined to comment. It is illegal for the government to comment publicly on any sealed grand jury matter.
Trump faces seven criminal counts in the federal case, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The indictment remains under seal, and even Trump himself has not yet seen what it says. His legal team was notified about the seven charges as part of a summons ordering Trump to appear in court, the source said.
Speaking on CNN, Trump lawyer Jim Trusty said those charges include conspiracy, false statements, obstruction of justice, and illegally retaining classified documents under the Espionage Act. He said he expects to see the indictment between now and Tuesday.
It marks the second time that Trump, the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges, has been indicted.