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Posted: 2023-06-09T17:49:18Z | Updated: 2023-06-09T19:38:09Z

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on 37 felony federal charges related to his handling of classified documents after he left the White House, according to the unsealed indictment released on Friday.

The charges against Trump include conspiracy to obstruct justice, willful retention of national defense information and making false statements, according to the document, filed in federal district court in Miami.

Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced, special counsel Jack Smith, overseeing the investigation into Trumps actions, said at a press conference following the indictments unsealing.

Violations of those laws put our country at risk, he continued. Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice, and our nations commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world.

Trump is expected to surrender to authorities on Tuesday and has said he will plead not guilty on all counts. Smith said he would seek a speedy trial.

It is an unprecedented moment for the country: He is the first former president in U.S. history to face federal charges and is moving forward with a reelection campaign during the 2024 race for the White House.

The indictment spells out Trumps alleged scheme to move dozens of boxes containing sensitive government material after he was asked to turn them over.

The classified documents Trump stored in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack, the indictment reads.

The indictment adds that the disclosure of those documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.

Trumps aide was also charged Friday in the alleged scheme. Walt Nauta, a former military valet who worked at Mar-a-Lago following Trumps presidency, was seen on Mar-a-Lago surveillance video moving boxes from a storage room before and after a subpoena was issued.

On Dec. 7, 2021, Nauta found several of Trumps boxes that had fallen on the floor of his Mar-a-Lago storage room, according to the indictment. The contents had spilled out, including a document that was marked SECRET, the indictment said.