Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents on Friday urged Americans to read the newly unsealed 37-count indictment to understand the “full scope and gravity” of the crimes being alleged.In his first public statement on the investigation, Jack Smith defended his office’s work and the grand jury’s decision to bring charges against Trump, who along with his allies has worked to undermine Smith and the U.S.
Justice Department while maintaining his innocence.“We have one set of rules to everyone, and it applies to everyone,” Smith told reporters in a brief statement.
He took no questions.Smith said he will seek a “speedy trial” to resolve the case. Trump is due to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday to answer to the charges, one day before his 77th birthday.The special counsel spoke hours after the Justice Department unsealed the indictment against Trump and a former aide Friday, a tumultuous day that also saw two of Trump’s lawyers quit the case.The charges stem from Trump’s treatment of sensitive government materials he took with him when he left the White House in January 2021.According to the indictment, those documents include some of the most sensitive U.S.
military secrets, including information on the U.S. nuclear program and potential domestic vulnerabilities in the event of an attack.One document concerned a foreign country’s support of terrorism against U.S.