Former President Donald Trump has been charged on 37 counts of alleged crimes related to mishandling classified documents and is expected to appear in federal court in Florida next week.
According to the unsealed court document, Trump allegedly influenced his lawyers to hide information from the Justice Department, suggesting they are “pulling out” damaging classified documents.
It also reveals a great account of a conversation in which Trump showed members of his staff a highly sensitive military “plan of attack” document given to the former president by a senior military official.
DailyMail.com analyzes some of the most stunning revelations in the now public document.
Trump allegedly influenced his lawyers to hide information from DOJ
“I don’t want anyone looking in my boxes, I don’t want anyone looking in my boxes, no way, I don’t want you looking in my boxes,” Trump said in the indictment.
“Well, what if we, what happens if we don’t respond at all or don’t play along?” Trump allegedly said, referring to the Justice Department.
“Wouldn’t it be better to say we have nothing here?” According to the document, Trump would have continued.
“Well, look, isn’t it better if there are no documents.”
Trump allegedly shared details of military ‘attack plan’
According to the indictment, Trump stated, “Look what I found, this was [the Senior Military Official’s] action plan, read it and just show…it’s interesting.’
He also had a conversation about the senior military official and admitted that the document he showed staff was “highly confidential.”
On the bathroom floor were secret documents about the Allied countries of the ‘Five Eyes’
According to the indictment, Trump’s alleged co-conspirator, Nauta, texted another Trump staffer a photo of documents containing classified information.
“I opened the door and found this,” including two photos of the spilled documents, at least one of which contained classified documents.
The indictment states that the specific documents related to intelligence between the “Five Eyes” countries.
Those countries form an “intelligence sharing alliance” between the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The president suggested to his lawyers that they extract damaging documents so that the FBI could not obtain them
The indictment includes a passage recounting a conversation between Trump and one of his lawyers in which Trump “made a funny move like — well okay, why don’t you take them to your hotel room and if there’s something bad there, like, you know well, pluck it out.’
And that was the move he made. He didn’t say that,” the lawyer allegedly said in the recount of the conversation.
Trump suggested to his lawyers to conceal or destroy documents he was legally required to hand over by subpoena
According to the court document, Trump strongly suggested that his attorney “conceal or destroy documents” requested by the Florida Grand Jury subpoena.
Prosecutors write in the indictment that the former president told his lawyers to tell the DOJ they “didn’t have” the specific documents described in the subpoena.
Bathrooms, ballrooms and more: Improper document storage
Trump kept boxes of classified documents all over his home in Mar-a-Lago.
He “kept his boxes of secret documents… in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office area, his bedroom and a storage room,” the indictment, which includes photos, said.
“From January through March 15, 2021, some of Trump’s boxes were stored in the Mar-a-Lago Club’s White and Gold Ballroom, where events and gatherings took place. Trump’s boxes were piled on the dais of the ballroom for a period of time,” the indictment said.
Nature of the seized documents
According to the indictment, FBI agents seized a total of 75 documents from Mar-a-Lago last August.
There were 11 marked “Top Secret,” 36 with “Secret” markings, and 28 labeled “Confidential.”
Trump’s alleged co-conspirator Walt Nauta lied to the FBI
The indictment alleges that Trump’s White House aide Walt Nauta falsely testified to the FBI in a May 2022 interview that he was unaware of Trump’s boxes of classified documents.
When asked directly if he knew where Trump’s boxes were stored, Nauta responded, “I wish, I wish I could tell you.” Don’t know. I don’t know – I honestly just don’t know.’
The indictment also states that Nauta brought “about 64 boxes” from the storage unit to Trump’s residence.
Indeed, Nauta “knew that the boxes in Pine Hall came from the Storage Room, as Nauta herself, with the help of Trump Associate 2, had moved the boxes from the Storage Room to Pine Hall,” the indictment states.
“Nauta had been observing and moving the detainees to various locations in the Mar-a-Lago Club,” it continues.