JAKARTA - Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to federal criminal charges illegally storing national security documents, when he left his post and lied to officials seeking to recover him.
Trump's petition, filed before US Judge Jonathan Goodman at Miami Federal Court, is preparing for a legal battle that is likely to take place in the coming months, as he campaigns to re-election next year.
Trump, who wore a blue suit and red tie, tied his forehead and leaned back on his chair, but did not speak for 47 minutes of trial.
After the trial, he was allowed to leave the court without a requirement, without travel restrictions and no need to pay the bail. However, Goodman decided he was not allowed to communicate with potential witnesses in the case.
Trump is the first former president to be charged with federal crimes. Yesterday's trial was the second time he has come to the courtroom in three months.
In April, he pleaded not guilty to charges over payment of covert money to a porn star in the State of New York.
Trump himself has repeatedly pleaded not guilty and accused Democratic President Joe Biden's administration of targeting him. He called Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the prosecution, a " Trump hater" on social media on Tuesday.
While stopping at Versailles, a Cuban restaurant, after the trial, Trump told his supporters that the United States was "currencyd", "corrupted", and "resigned".
"We have an uncontrolled government," he said. The Cuban-American Florida community is a substantial Republican vote block in a politically competing state.
Smith accused Trump of risking national secrets by bringing thousands of sensitive documents, when he left the White House in January 2021 and keeping them carelessly at Florida's Mar-a-Lago resort and his New Jersey golf club, according to a jury indictment released last week.
Photographs included in the indictment show boxes of documents stored on the ballroom stage, in the bathroom, and strewn across the floor of the storage space.
The note includes information about the US secret nuclear program and potential vulnerabilities in the event of an attack, the indictment said.
The 37-page indictment accused Trump of lying to officials trying to get them back.
The indictment also accused Trump of conspiring with his aide Walt Nauta, who was also indicted in the case, of keeping classified documents and hiding them from investigators. Nauta has worked for Trump at the White House and at Mar-a-Lago.
Furthermore, Trump faces charges that include violations of the Espionage Act, which criminalizes possession of defense information without permission, and conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
That is the maximum sentence he faces, as he will serve any sentence at the same time if found guilty.
Legal experts say the evidence is a serious case. Smith said Trump, who will turn 77 on Wednesday, will undergo a "fast" trial.
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Meanwhile, the judge assigned to the case,teng Cannon, was appointed by Trump in 2020 and issued a verdict supporting him during last year's investigation which was canceled on appeal.
Trump accused President Joe Biden of regulating federal cases to weaken his campaign. Meanwhile, President Biden kept his distance from the case and declined to comment. However, Trump is free to campaign for the upcoming presidential election and can take office, even if he is found guilty.
After the trial, supporters chanted "We love Trump" as his car convoy left the court building at 15:55. EDT (19:55 GMT), about two hours after arriving.
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