Former US president Donald Trump, who is running for the top office in next year's election, has been charged over his handling of classified documents after exiting the White House.
The mercurial Republican leader faces as many as seven charges, including unauthorised retention of classified documents, the US media have reported. The charges were not yet public, a BBC report said, adding the justice department declined to comment.
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It is the second indictment of the 76-year-old businessman-politician who lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, the incumbent president, but vowed to contest again in 2024. If he is convicted, it could carry a prison sentence.
According to legal experts, however, the indictment will not restrict Trump's ability to run for the top office.
On Social Truth, an alt-tech social media platform created by Trump, he said he was innocent and had been asked to appear at a federal court in Miami, Florida, on June 13.
In a post, the former president wrote, "I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former president of the United States."
"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!" he added.
Speaking to CNN, Trump's attorney Jim Trusty said the former had received details of the charges and they include conspiracy, false statements, obstruction of justice and illegally retaining classified documents under the Espionage Act.
An indictment is a document that gives details of charges against a person, ensuring they have notice of alleged criminal acts.
Last year, Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida was searched and 11,000 documents were found and seized. They included around 100 that were marked as classified and some of them were labelled as top secret.
In April, Trump became the first former US president to be charged with a crime after he pleaded not guilty to more than 30 counts of falsifying business records over paying hush money to a porn actress. He faces trial in that case next year.
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A rescuer assists a resident through heavy mud following flash floods on August 27, 2026 in Trishuli, Nepal. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travellers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing, as the death toll started to climb.Getty Images
Rescue personnel provide medical treatment to a child at an army rescue camp in Trishuli Batar, Nepal, on August 27, 2026. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure, as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travellers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing as the death toll began to climb. Getty Ima
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