Former President Donald Trump has characterized his federal indictment as election interference and an abuse of power by the Biden administration.
Key details: Trump made his first public remarks since the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment accusing him and an aide of mishandling classified documents.
* Trump called the indictment “ridiculous and baseless” and a “travesty of justice” during a speech at the Georgia Republican Convention.
Indictment charges: The 37 federal counts against Trump include improper storage of national defense documents and refusal to turn them over to the FBI and the National Archives.
* Charges also include conspiracies to obstruct justice and false statements.
* Each charge carries a fine up to $250,000, and maximum prison sentences between five and 20 years.
Legal response: Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended the ethical rigor of his team’s work, while emphasizing that defendants are “presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Trump’s political stance: Despite his past and impending legal troubles, Trump remains the 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner and said he will continue to campaign even if convicted.
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