Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in front of a U.S. magistrate judge in connection to charges he mishandled classified documents, marking the second time this year Trump has been arraigned on a criminal case.
Trump was arraigned on the federal charges Tuesday afternoon in a Miami, Florida, courthouse. Just hours before the former president made his court appearance, GOP U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds went on CNN to provide an on-air defense.
“As somebody who’s been to Mar-a-Lago, you can’t just walk through Mar-a-Lago of your own accord because Secret Service is all over the place,” Donalds said.
Trump was formally indicted last week on 37 counts related to willful retention of national defense information – a charge related to the Espionage Act – as well as conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, and other charges regarding classified documents taken from the White House and kept on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Trump turned himself in, and he and his attorneys appeared in a courtroom before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was released on personal recognizance, also known as a no-cost bond where defendants pledge to return to court for future proceedings without having to pay a bail, and no travel restrictions were imposed on him.
Just as supporters backed Trump after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in March on criminal charges related to hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign, there are many who are siding with the former president this week, advocating his innocence while also questioning the legitimacy…
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