Now that former President Donald Trump has been indicted on federal criminal charges, several questions remain regarding the Justice Department's next steps and the future of Trump's other legal scandals.
Trump's legal counsel said on Thursday evening that the former president is facing seven charges, including a violation of the Espionage Act, making false claims, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The charges stem from his retention of classified documents and are the result of a special counsel investigation led by Jack Smith.
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Here are three big questions following the announcement of these charges.
What has Trump been indicted for?
This is the first time in U.S. history that a former president has been indicted on federal criminal charges. While official details have not been revealed, Trump's lawyers said the charges include willfully retaining national defense documents, which violates a section of the Espionage Act.
Experts predicted that Smith would turn to the Espionage Act when deciding federal charges for Trump.
The charges stem from an August 2022 search by the FBI on Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago, in which the agency found hundreds of classified documents. His legal team had signed a letter on June 3, 2022, attesting that all classified material held at Mar-a-Lago had been returned to the government.
Lawyer Jim Trusty said Trump was delivered a summons and a "summary" sheet with language similar to that of an indictment.
Trusty said there were "several" obstruction charges listed relating to 18 U.S.C. 1512, which deals with “tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant,” and some related to 18 U.S.C. 1519, which covers “destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in Federal investigations.”
What are the next steps in the investigation?
Trusty said the summary sheet asked the former president to appear in court on June 13 at 3 p.m. at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. It is unclear at this time if an announcement from the DOJ will come on June 13 or before.
A grand jury out of the district court had been analyzing evidence and hearing testimony from witnesses prior to the announcement of the indictment.
Taylor Budowich, who worked as a spokesman for the former president and now works as the head of super PAC MAGA Inc., appeared before the grand jury on Wednesday to provide testimony. Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has reportedly testified before one of Smith's grand juries.
Trump himself has denied wrongdoing. In a post on Truth Social, he declared, "I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!" and once again called the investigation a "witch hunt." The former president said he intends to plead not guilty to all charges.
What other legal problems are on Trump's plate?
This is the second time Trump has been indicted. Earlier this year, a grand jury in Manhattan, New York, indicted Trump on state charges for allegedly falsifying business records during the 2016 presidential campaign. The investigation focuses on hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who was going to go public about a 2005 affair with Trump.
Smith is heading another special counsel investigation into Trump over his actions during and after the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her team are investigating whether Trump and his allies attempted to interfere in Georgia's 2020 general election. Willis has hinted that charges stemming from her office's investigation could drop sometime in the summer after a grand jury recommended that at least one of the many witnesses committed conspiracy or racketeering.
Fulton County investigators are reportedly looking at the former president's actions in other states as well.