Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would deter the ex-US president from running for the 2024 election.
Donald Trump’s indictment of 37 counts of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate poses the former president’s most serious legal threat to date, less than three months after he was charged with 34 felonies in New York for falsifying business documents.
Here’s a look at the charges and special counsel’s investigation:
What are the costs?
Trump faces 37 counts related to mishandling classified documents, according to the indictment unsealed Friday. The charges include withholding classified information, obstructing justice and making false statements.
Trump is accused of retaining documents related to “nuclear weapons in the United States” and the “nuclear capabilities of a foreign country”, along with documents from White House intelligence briefings, including some describing US military capabilities and describe other countries. according to the indictment.
Prosecutors alleged that Trump showed the documents to people who did not have security clearance to view them and later attempted to hide documents from his own lawyers as they attempted to comply with federal demands to find and return them.
The highest charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
What happens now?
The Justice Department unsealed the indictment Friday, the first time the Department has confirmed that Trump was charged with a crime.
Trump is due to appear in court in South Florida on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what the procedure would look like.
Will a federal indictment prevent Trump from running for president?
Trump’s lawyer said he faces seven felony counts, including violations of the espionage law, obstruction of justice and conspiracy. None of these would remove Trump from office if convicted.
A trial would take place in many months and Trump can campaign freely during this time.
The U.S. Constitution only requires that presidential candidates be born U.S. citizens who are at least 35 years old and have lived in the country for 14 years.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday that he is innocent. He would be free to campaign even if he is convicted and sent to prison, and legal experts say there is no reason to block his swearing in as president even if he is imprisoned, although this is extraordinary logistical and security concerns would yield.
What effect will the case have on Trump’s campaign?
It is unclear what the effect will be on Trump’s position with voters. Trump’s polls rose after his March indictment in a separate New York case, and he is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.
And as the New York case showed, criminal charges have historically been a boon to his fundraising efforts. The campaign announced it had raised at least $4 million in the 24 hours since that indictment went public, far breaking the previous record following the FBI’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
He has used the cases and investigations he faces as a fundraising tool, telling supporters he is under attack and needs their help. Trump’s campaign said in April that donations soared after he was indicted in New York.