Jack Smith Indicts Trump on 37 Federal Counts Under Espionage Act

Special counsel Jack Smith filed a 37-count federal indictment against former President Donald Trump in Miami on June 8, 2023, charging him with willful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act, making false statements, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Thirty-one of the 37 counts alleged that Trump willfully retained specific classified documents including materials related to nuclear weapons programs, U.S. military capabilities, and foreign government intelligence. Trump's valet Walt Nauta was charged as a co-conspirator for allegedly helping move and conceal boxes. The indictment marked the first federal criminal indictment of a former president in American history.