Former President Donald Trump has been indicted again — this time in a federal investigation into his handling of classified documents, which makes him the first former commander-in-chief to face federal criminal charges — sparking reaction across the country and here in New England.
Trump is facing seven charges in connection with the special council investigation, after a federal grand jury indicted the former president in the handling of more than 100 classified documents. The documents were discovered in his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last year.
Sources have told NBC News that one of the charges relates to the Espionage Act, and others include false statements and conspiracy to obstruct.
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"If in fact the government sought an espionage indictment as one of the seven, that would be very surprising because it is an incredibly important charge that carries with it the longest sentence of any of the potential charges he’s likely to face," NBC10 Boston legal analyst Michael Coyne said. "Not to rule it out, but that would mean that they likely believe they’ve got quite a compelling case."
The former president spoke out in a video message released on his social media platforms.
"This has been going on for seven years," Trump said. "They can't stop because it's election interference at the highest level. There's never been anything like what's happened. I'm an innocent man. I'm an innocent person."
This is now the second time Trump has been indicted since leaving office. He is expected to appear in federal court in Miami next week.
New England lawmakers have begun to comment on the matter on social media.
Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley simply wrote on her Twitter, "Twice-impeached. Twice-indicted. One-term occupant of the White House."
Meanwhile, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse mentioned a case from a week ago, saying that a retired air force officer was sentenced to three years in federal prison for keeping classified documents at his home and other locations.
"Presidents must too follow the law," Senator Whitehouse wrote.
