Former Assistant U.S. Attorney John O'Connor is not particularly convinced for President Donald Trump’s mere possession of classified documents after his presidency was criminal. He believes the way Trump responded to requests to return those documents are what could spell the real legal peril.
Trump was charged by special counsel Jack Smith in a 37-count indictment last week. The indictment (pdf) specifics 31 counts of “willful retention of national defense information,” as well as a count of withholding a document or record, “corruptly” concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, conspiring to obstruct justice, scheming to conceal materials, and making false statements. The indictment also alleges Trump showed classified documents to other people on two separate occasions in 2021.
