Trump stored classified documents in Mar-a-lago toilet (Image: DOJ)
Former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday for his mishandling of classified documents after his exit from the White House.
Details about Trump’s alleged crimes have shocked national security experts.
Trump concealed all of the documents in his Mar-a-Lago residence, a communal space where many large gatherings are held throughout the year.
Prosecutors have reported that the former president stored the documents in unconventional places, including his bathroom and shower.
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This information comes after Trump criticized the FBI for spreading the documents across the floor of a closet during a search of Mar-a-Lago in August.
According to the indictment, there have been at least two occasions of Trump handling top-secret documents in front of members of his New Jersey golf club. An audio recording taken from the golf club meeting reveals Trump showing people a “plan of attack” that was supposedly prepared for him by the U.S. military. The recording features Trump’s admission that he could have declassified the documents during his time as president, but no longer could since he is out of office. This statement goes against others that he has made, claiming that he had previously declassified the document.
The former president’s “body man,” Walt Nauta, is also being charged with six felony counts for his involvement in concealing the documents and obstructing justice. According to the indictment, Trump instructed Nauta to move boxes containing the documents in an effort to hide them from the FBI and his own lawyers. There are also text messages between the two men about the documents, as Nauta suggested that he included too many details on his labels for the different boxes in which they were kept.
Additionally, Special Counsel Jack Smith used some of Trump’s own words against him in the indictment.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump accused Hillary Clinton of keeping classified information on a private email server. He lectured her about the dangers of handling government secrets and condemned any breach of national security. He made similar claims while justifying his removal of former CIA Director John Brennan after he ridiculed Trump’s close relationship with Russia.
Smith cited these comments in the indictment as examples of the former president’s hypocrisy and malintent in taking the documents.
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