Posted by Point of Order on April 20, 2024, 2:24 pm
What the case is about: The case centers around Trump’s handling of classified documents after his presidency and his resistance to the government’s attempts to retrieve the materials he took to Mar-a-Lago from the White House. Trump’s personal aide, Walt Nauta, and Carlos de Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, have also been charged. All three have pleaded not guilty.
What happened before the charges: Before the initial charges against Trump were brought in June 2023, officials had tried – and failed – throughout 2021 and 2022 to get back the documents in Trump’s possession. The National Archives, charged with collecting and sorting presidential material, said in early 2022 that at least 15 boxes of White House records were recovered from the estate, including some that were classified.
What was in the documents: The indictment unveiled last June claims that Trump retained documents related to national defense that were classified at the highest levels and some so sensitive that they required special handling. DOJ has singled out 31 documents — one for each of the 31 willful retention counts that Trump is facing. Several of the records concern the military capabilities of various countries.
The classified documents found at Mar a Lago were eventually going to be transported to Saudi Arabia as part of Jared Kushner's $2 billion dollar deal. The $2 billion was apparently a down payment.