MIAMI — Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he hoarded classified documents detailing sensitive military secrets and schemed to thwart government efforts to get them back.
Trump appeared before a judge in Miami’s federal courthouse on Tuesday in a stunning moment in American history days after he became the first former president charged with federal crimes.
Authorities say Trump schemed and lied to block the government from recovering the documents concerning nuclear programs and other sensitive military secrets stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
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Here's what to expect
What are the charges?
Trump faces 37 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents, including 31 counts under an Espionage Act statute pertaining to the willful retention of national defense information. The charges also include counts of obstructing justice and making false statements, among other crimes.
Trump is accused of keeping documents related to “nuclear weaponry in the United States” and the “nuclear capabilities of a foreign country,” along with documents from White House intelligence briefings, including some that detail the military capabilities of the U.S. and other countries, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors allege Trump showed off the documents to people who did not have security clearances to review them and later tried to conceal documents from his own lawyers as they sought to comply with federal demands to find and return documents.
The top charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
No Trump mugshot expected
Trump is not expected to have a mugshot taken when he surrenders to authorities in federal court in Miami to face charges related to mishandling classified documents.
That’s according to a person familiar with negotiations surrounding the case who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the details of the proceedings.
Having no picture taken is similar to Trump’s recent appearance in court in New York on a separate case involving hush money payments when the former president also avoided having his mug shot taken.
What happens during the hearing?
Trump was to surrender to federal authorities ahead of a hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. in federal court in Miami. He was to appear alongside his valet Walt Nauta, who is also charged in the case.
Unlike his arraignment in New York, there won’t be photographs from the courtroom because cameras aren’t allowed in federal court. There may, however, be sketch artists, and theirs would be the only images from the actual courtroom appearance.
There’s also a prohibition on reporters bringing electronic devices into the courthouse, so there won’t be live updates by tweet or text. That rule is usually up to each federal judge, but an order has been issued in this case specifically imposing restrictions for Trump’s initial hearing.
Trump and Nauta are expected to enter not-guilty pleas in the case, and both sides will discuss any potential conditions of bail, which could include an order to surrender the former president's passport.
Trump will not be subjected to a mugshot photo when he appears in federal court, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the details of the proceedings.
Does a federal indictment prevent Trump from running for president?
No. Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
