The federal indictment of former President Donald Trump is the culmination of a special counsel investigation that has traced alleged misconduct since Trump's departure from the White House.
Trump's legal counsel said on Thursday evening that the former president is facing multiple charges, including a violation of the Espionage Act, making false claims, and conspiracy to obstruct justice, related to mishandling classified documents.
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Here is a timeline of the classified documents scandal following Trump's 2020 election loss.
2021
In January 2021, Trump left the White House. The former president's lawyers wrote in an April 2023 letter to House GOP leaders that Trump had less time than his predecessors to gather and store documents properly and that it is likely staff members were responsible for their placement among the things taken to Mar-a-Lago.
In May 2021, the National Archives and Records Administration approached Trump and his team about missing presidential records. In June 2021, the National Archives seized another batch of documents.
Trump reportedly spoke about a classified document in his possession about a possible attack on Iran during a July 2021 meeting at his golf club in New Jersey. The alleged incident was taped on a recording that was handed over to the FBI, and sources said they heard an assumed document being waved around by Trump.
In December 2021, a representative from Trump's staff informed the National Archives that a box of records was located, and arrangements were made to retrieve the records.
2022
The National Archives collected about 15 boxes worth of material from Mar-a-Lago in January 2022. A month later, National Archives staff discovered some material appeared to be classified.
David Ferriero, the archivist of the United States, sent a letter to the House Oversight Committee confirming the National Archives notified the Justice Department about its discovery of classified material at Mar-a-Lago on Feb. 18, 2022.
In May 2022, a grand jury was established as the DOJ began its review of Trump's handling of presidential records. At that point, prosecutors had issued at least one subpoena and were issuing requests for interviews from former Trump administration officials.
FBI agents reviewed the 15 boxes in mid-May 2022 and found classified documents in 14 of them. Of the documents, 184 were marked classified, 67 marked confidential, 92 marked secret, and 25 marked top secret.
A letter signed by Christina Bobb, Trump's then-lawyer, on June 3, 2022, attested all classified material holed up in Mar-a-Lago had been returned to the government.
In June 2022, the Trump Organization received a subpoena for surveillance footage from the cameras at Mar-a-Lago, another key piece of evidence to the special counsel investigation.
Aug. 8, 2022
The FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on Aug. 8, 2022. Agents and federal investigators discovered hundreds of documents in the former president's possession, many of them marked top secret or classified.
While it was reported and distributed as a surprise attack, it was later learned the Secret Service was notified just before the raid, and at least three lawyers arrived on the scene during the raid.
End of 2022
Trump launched a third consecutive campaign for the 2024 election on Nov. 15, just days after the 2022 midterm elections.
Three days later, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed former federal prosecutor Jack Smith to serve as special counsel to the DOJ investigations into Trump: one for the classified documents and the other for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
2023
Classified documents began to pop up in other locations — and other government officials' homes.
In January, it was discovered that classified documents were found at President Joe Biden's think tank, the Penn Biden Center, in Washington, D.C. Garland named Robert Hur, former U.S. attorney under Trump's administration, as special counsel in the Biden documents investigation shortly after.
FBI agents found classified documents in February, this time at former Vice President Mike Pence's home in Indiana. The DOJ closed the investigation into Pence's handling of classified documents in June.
Trump and his legal counsel met with Smith and other DOJ officials to argue against the indictment of the former president on June 5. Around this time, Trump is alerted that he is the subject of a criminal investigation.
On Wednesday, 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, also reportedly testified before one of Smith's grand juries.
June 8, 2023
Trump is indicted on seven federal criminal charges. 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."
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Looking ahead
The former president is set to appear in court on Tuesday, 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 that date or before.
Trump is also facing state criminal charges out of a Manhattan grand jury investigation, as well as a criminal investigation from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia. 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.