08 June 2023 , 23:44
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Donald Trump says he's been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate.
Trump is currently in Bedminster, New Jersey and made the announcement on his Truth Social platform.
A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced he had been indicted.
Trump said he is due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami.
In a rambling post on his social media platform he said: "I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM.
Donald Trump's scandalous The Apprentice sacking and his unexpected replacement
He is due at court on Tuesday (AFP via Getty Images)"I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!"
The disgraced former president went on to call it a 'dark day' for the US.
The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been indicted in New York and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that also could lead to criminal charges.
Officers in front of the home of Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago in August last year (AFP via Getty Images)The indictment arises from a months-long investigation by special counsel Jack Smith into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government's efforts to recover the records.
Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House, including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August in a search of the home.
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate (Getty Images)Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump's attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.
Trump has insisted he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.