Former President Donald Trump Charged with 38 Counts in Connection with Investigation into Handling of Sensitive Government Materials

The Justice Department has charged former President Donald Trump with 38 counts in connection with its investigation into his handling of sensitive government materials after he left the White House. This marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president has faced federal criminal charges.

The indictment, unsealed Friday, names Trump and aide Walt Nauta as defendants. It accuses Trump of breaking seven different laws, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information and single counts of false statements and representations, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document, concealing a document in a federal investigation and a scheme to lie and mislead federal investigators.

The charges stem from a lengthy effort by the National Archives and Records Administration to retrieve materials Trump had at his South Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, after his presidency ended in January 2021. Wrangling between Trump and the National Archives initially took place behind the scenes with secret subpoenas for the records and security camera footage, but the dispute burst into public view on Aug. 8.

The Justice Department’s indictment is the latest development in the ongoing investigation into Trump’s handling of sensitive government materials. It is unclear what the outcome of the case will be, but it is clear that the charges against Trump are serious and could have far-reaching implications for the former president and his aides.