Florida GOP says Trump’s charges are politically motivated

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - Former President Donald Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents. The indictment outlining those charges was released Friday afternoon.

Trump is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Miami on Tuesday.

The indictment is the Justice Department’s first official confirmation of a criminal case against former President Donald Trump related to the hundreds of documents at his Mar-a-Lago home.

This is the first time a former president faces federal charges.

“It’s unprecedented that should not be happening because it’s politically motivated,” said Florida GOP vice-chair Evan Power.

Power and many Republicans don’t think it’s fair Trump is facing charges.

“If you look at the breath that has happened to President Trump over his tenure, this FBI and this Department of Justice has been weaponized against him,” said Power.

Trump is charged with 37 different counts.

The indictment accuses Trump of improperly removing boxes from the White House to take them to Mar-a-Lago, many of them containing classified information.

Trump says he’s innocent.

“With all the legal issues he faces and the immunities he received as President of the United States, he thought the safest place for him was in the White House,” said Jeffery Swartz, professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School’s Tampa campus.

Trump’s primary challengers, including Governor Ron DeSantis condemned the charges. Swartz said that’s because Trump still has a lot of support for 2024.

“Those people are looking to Donald Trump supporters for money and for votes,” said Swartz.

Swartz reminds people this still needs to play in the courts.

“We are a country of laws and no one is above those laws. The only person who tried to do that before was Richard Nixon,” said Swartz.

Trump’s Vice President and primary challenger, Mike Pence, was recently cleared for having documents at his Indiana home.

A Trump aide who was seen on surveillance camera removing boxes at Mar-a-Lago is also charged.

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