Trump says he has been indicted in classified documents investigation

MIAMI — President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening that he has been indicted in the investigation into his handling of classified documents after his presidency ended.

The Justice Department has not yet confirmed the indictment.

"The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax," the former president wrote on Truth Social.

He continued in another post: "I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM. I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!"

Trump is currently in Bedminster, New Jersey. A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.

What is an indictment?

An indictment is a formal statement that someone has been charged with a crime. In this case, the indictment came from a grand jury.

A federal grand jury in Florida has been hearing from witnesses and determining whether there was enough evidence to file charges. In a grand jury, prosecutors call and question witnesses, and grand jurors can also ask questions. A grand jury decides whether there is enough evidence to issue an indictment; they may also find there is not enough evidence of a crime or direct the prosecutor to file lesser charges. 

Justice Department policy prohibits the federal indictment of a sitting president, but Trump is now two years out of office and no longer benefits from that legal shield.