Trump targeted in classified documents probe after presidency

US prosecutors have informed Donald Trump’s legal team that the former president is under investigation for his handling of classified documents after leaving office, as reported by multiple US news outlets. The notification, issued by the office of special counsel Jack Smith, allows Trump the opportunity to present his own evidence before a grand jury, though it does not guarantee that charges will be filed.

Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has faced legal challenges in the past. In April, he pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to an adult film star before the 2016 presidential race. Additionally, Trump is under investigation for alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss. He maintains that these investigations are politically motivated.

The inquiry into classified documents began in 2021, following suspicions among federal officials that Trump had not returned all required documents. In August of that year, the FBI discovered around 13,000 documents, with 100 marked as classified, during a search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. This occurred despite a previous statement from one of Trump’s lawyers claiming that all records with classified markings had been returned.

Trump has defended his retention of the documents, suggesting that he declassified them while he was president. However, he has not provided any evidence to support this claim, and court filings show that his lawyers have not made this argument either.

Trump’s legal troubles continue to mount. In May, a Manhattan civil court jury ordered him to pay US$5 million in damages for sexually abusing former Elle magazine columnist E Jean Carroll and subsequently defaming her by calling her a liar. As the first current or former US president to face criminal charges, Trump’s ongoing legal battles are making history.