Trump: “I Have Been Indicted”

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday posted on Truth Social that he’s been indicted, “seemingly over the Boxes Hoax,” and that he’s been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday at 3pm.

I AM AN INNOCENT MAN. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS TOTALLY CORRUPT. THIS IS ELECTION INTERFERENCE & A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! pic.twitter.com/kQxMDBBLTM

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 9, 2023

Donald Trump via Truth Social:

The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax, even though Joe Biden has 1850 Boxes at the University of Delaware, additional Boxes in Chinatown, D.C., with even more Boxes at the University of Pennsylvania, and documents strewn all over his garage floor where he parks his Corvette, and which is “secured” by only a garage door that is paper thin, and open much of the time.

I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM. 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!

This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America. We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!

According to sources familiar with the case, the DOJ declined to delay the planned indictment of Trump to investigate allegations that a senior prosecutor on the case tried to influence a key witness by discussing a federal judgeship with the witness’ lawyer, Just the News reports.

On Monday, Trump said via Truth;

Trump was indicted last month in Manhattan on allegations that he falsified business expenses to conceal hush money payments to a porn star.

As JTN notes, no prior sitting US president has ever been indicted in federal court. If the grand jury accepts the case, it will spark an unprecedented legal battle which will undoubtedly make its way to the Supreme Court, while casting a shadow over the 2024 election. According to some polls, Trump leads the GOP field by as many as 50 points.

Trump’s defense

According to the report, “Trump’s lawyers have prepared a robust defense based on months of legal research, anticipating Smith might pursue charges. Trump’s lawyers are prepared to argue that a president had broad powers under the Constitution to keep documents or declassify without any fanfare documents from his presidency and take them with him upon leaving office.”

They will rely heavily on a U.S. District Court case in Washington more than a decade ago involving former President Bill Clinton that concluded a president had broad and mostly unchallengeable power to determine which documents from his presidency can be kept personally and that any documents moved to Trump’s homes in Mar-a-Lago, Fla., and Bedminster, N.J., fall under that category.

An American Bar Association report in 2022 seemed to agree with Trump’s assertion that “guidelines support his contention that presidents have broad authority to formally declassify most documents that are not statutorily protected, while they are in office.” -Just the News

Prosecutors, meanwhile, plan to counter by arguing that constitutional authority doesn’t extend to documents which contain National Defense Information.