The federal indictment filed against former President Donald Trump incorporates seven counts that carry a maximum sentence of 75 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
The 76-year-old former commander-in-chief was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday on criminal charges related to alleged mishandling of classified White House documents that were recovered at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate, and charges that he attempted to obstruct government attempts to get well them.
Charges against Trump include: willful storage of national defense documents, conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealment of documents, corrupt cover-up of files, cover-up of a document in a federal investigation, conspiracy to hide and make false statements, sources told ABC News.
All seven charges “come out of an espionage charge”, his lawyer Jim Trusty confirmed on CNN.
“It has some language in it that implies what the seven charges could be. It is not 100% clear if these are all separate allegations, but they mainly stem from an Espionage Act allegation,” Trusty said.
Each charge is punishable by imprisonment.
Storage of classified documents
Trump is accused of hoarding a whole lot of classified materials at his Palm Beach resort, which were recovered in two separate FBI raids last yr.
He claimed to have declassified every thing that got here from the White House, adding that the president has the right to declassify materials “even serious about it.”
AND section of the Espionage Act prohibits any person, including the president, from “intentionally detaining[ing]” national defense information and “failed[ing] to deliver it to a United States official or worker entitled to receive it.”
The Act provides for a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or a fantastic.
Conspiring to obstruct justice
The former commander-in-chief is accused of inciting others to mislead government officials while collecting classified documents in his possession, a felony charge of obstruction of justice.
Federal law prohibits it anyone from “threats or use of force” that may “influence, intimidate or impede” any U.S. officials from doing their jobs.
The Act provides for a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or a fantastic.
Stop document or recording
Investigators allege Trump intentionally sifted through some boxes of top-secret government documents, apparently attempting to preserve a few of the material.
As with the Espionage Act charge, unauthorized removal and storage classified documents or material load prohibits an individual from “knowingly removing such documents or materials without authorization and with the intention of storing such documents or materials in an unauthorized location.”
The Act provides for a maximum penalty of 5 years and/or a fantastic.
Corruptly concealing a document or record
Corrupt cover-ups of documents range from threatening others to mislead a federal investigation to illegal storage of classified documents, which Trump is accused of doing.
The charge is directed at “anyone who corruptly alters, destroys, mutilates or conceals a record, document or other item, or attempts to achieve this, with the intent to compromise the integrity or availability of the item to be used in an official proceeding; or otherwise obstructs, affects or obstructs any official proceeding or attempts to achieve this.”
This charge carries one among the harshest sentences, with Trump facing 20 years and/or a fantastic.
Withholding a document in a federal investigation
Trump could face one other twenty years if convicted of deliberately hiding classified documents while federal investigators looked for them at his private residences last yr.
“Whoever manipulates evidence, e.g. by altering, destroying or concealing files, documents or other tangible objects in order to obstruct or impede judicial proceedings, shall be punished” in accordance with the statute.
The Act provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years and/or a fantastic.
Scheme to cover
Trump is accused of knowingly concealing classified documents during and immediately after serving in the “executive, legislative or judicial branch of the United States government” in accordance with the statute.
The Act provides for a maximum penalty of 5 years and/or a fantastic.
If found to have been involved in domestic terrorism, the charge could sentence Trump to eight years in prison.
False statements and statements
Finally, for allegedly lying about keeping top-secret government documents in his private home, Trump could face prosecution making false statements and statements.
The Act provides for a maximum penalty of 5 years and/or a fantastic.
If convicted on all seven counts, the former president faces 75 years in prison.