Congressman Mike Bost | Congressman Mike Bost Official U.S. House Headshot
Congressman Mike Bost | Congressman Mike Bost Official U.S. House Headshot
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) said the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump is part of a “coordinated effort.”
Trump faces 37 federal charges including 31 counts under the Espionage Act of “willful retention” of classified records. He had pleaded not guilty.
“Tonight is the next step in the Democrats’ coordinated effort targeting Donald J. Trump,” Bost said on Facebook. “They’re trying to derail his frontrunner campaign for the presidency, despite the fact that Joe Biden, himself, had classified documents strewn across the Mid-Atlantic region!”
Trump, who turned 77 the day after his indictment was charged by a federal grand jury related to mishandling classified White House documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president has faced federal charges. Trump's attorney, according to New York Post, previously confirmed that his client is facing seven charges, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements and representations. The indictment caught law enforcement agencies by surprise, as the Secret Service and U.S. Marshals did not receive advance notice of the charges. Trump's legal team received a summons via email, and authorities are now scrambling to prepare for his court appearance in Miami. Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and called the indictment "election interference" and "the greatest witch hunt of all time." He announced the indictment on his social media platform, Truth Social, criticizing President Joe Biden's handling of classified material and proclaiming his innocence.
“Wow, this is turning out to be the greatest & most vicious instance of ELECTION INTERFERENCE in the history of our Country,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “Remember, I’m leading DeSanctimonious BIG in the Polls but, more importantly, I’m leading Biden by a lot. Also, & perhaps most importantly, they are launching all of the many Fake Investigations against me RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAMPAIGN, something which is unheard of & not supposed to happen. DOJ, FBI, NEW YORK A.G., NEW YORK D.A., ATLANTA D.A. FASCISTS ALL!"
Meanwhile, Biden’s own case over mishandling classified documents seems to not be going anywhere. Recent reports reveal Kathy S. Chung, the custodian of his vice presidential records and a key witness in the investigation of his classified documents, was involved in another documents scandal during the Clinton administration, according to court records. Chung, a longtime aide to Biden, was part of a team that withheld and destroyed key documents related to the Chinagate fundraising investigation, according to Paul Perry's report on RealClearInvestigations.
Chung is now under investigation for unlawfully handling top-secret materials, as she was tasked with removing boxes containing classified documents from the White House and storing them at various locations, including her office in the Chinatown neighborhood and Biden's home. Congressional investigators are concerned about the Biden family's dealings in China and whether they are connected to the mishandling of classified documents. The case has raised suspicions of a potential counterespionage case involving China and national security. Chung's role in both the Biden and Clinton administrations highlights the complex relationship between the Biden family's public service and business interests.
After arriving in New Jersey from his arraignment, Trump told the press that “The decision to segregate personal materials from presidential records if made BY the president during the president’s term and in the president’s sole discretion,” RSBN reported.