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Indictment: What are the charges facing Donald Trump?

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Donald Trump is the first former US president to face federal criminal charges.

 

Here is what we know about the charges facing the 76-year-old Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and what happens next:

 

The legally and politically explosive case stems from Trump’s retention of classified documents after he left the White House in January 2021.

 

Hundreds of documents were recovered by the FBI in a raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida after he failed to comply with a subpoena to hand them over.

 

The twice-impeached Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Florida following an investigation by special counsel Jack Smith.

 

The indictment has not been unsealed yet — Trump is to appear in a Miami court on Tuesday — but according to one of his lawyers, Trump faces seven charges.

 

Jim Trusty, in an interview with the Cable News Network, said that while Trump is not accused of spying, some of the charges involve alleged violations of the Espionage Act.

 

These include unlawful retention of “national defense information” and concealing records with the intent to obstruct or impede a federal investigation.

 

Other charges include conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and witness tampering, Trusty said without providing further details.

 

The New York Times says Trump may also be charged with mishandling official documents and contempt of court for failing to heed the subpoena to hand over the records to the National Archives.

 

A conviction for retaining classified documents carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison while obstruction is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

 

Conspiracy and making false statements each carry sentences of up to five years while mishandling official documents is punishable by up to three years in prison and contempt of court by six months.

 

Trump is to appear in federal court in Miami at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Tuesday when the indictment will be unsealed unless it is released earlier.

 

Trusty, Trump’s lawyer, said the logistics of the former president’s appearance in court were being worked out with the US Marshals Service and the Secret Service to “make this as smooth as possible.”

 

“He’s going to show up,” Trusty said.

 

“He knows he’s innocent. He knows this is garbage.”

 

Trump is likely to enter a plea of not guilty at Tuesday’s hearing before a federal judge.

 

The judge would then come up with a schedule for pretrial hearings and the process known as discovery, in which prosecutors turn over evidence to the defense.

 

The discovery process could be particularly complicated in the case, legal analysts said, because it involves documents that allegedly involve some of the country’s most tightly held secrets.

 

The New York Times and Washington Post report that the case will initially be handled by Aileen Cannon, 42, a Trump-appointed judge who made rulings favorable to the former president during a court review of documents seized in the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.

 

An actual trial is not expected to begin for several months and there is nothing to prevent Trump from pursuing a second term in the White House while under indictment.

 

The documents case is not the only legal challenge facing Trump.

 

The real estate tycoon was indicted in New York in March on charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to a former porn star.

 

Smith, the special counsel, is also looking at whether Trump should face charges over the January 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters.

 

Prosecutors in Georgia are also investigating whether Trump illegally attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election outcome in the southern state.

AFP

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Music Icon Quincy Jones Passes Away At 91

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Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer, and cultural icon whose career spanned over seven decades, has passed away at the age of 91.

Jones died peacefully on Sunday night at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Renowned for his unmatched versatility, Jones collaborated with some of the greatest musical talents of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Will Smith. He played an integral role in producing Jackson’s groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, which catapulted the pop star to global superstardom and earned Jones worldwide acclaim.

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Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones’ journey into music began early. His childhood introduction came from a neighbor’s piano playing and his mother’s singing. After moving to Washington state following his parents’ divorce, he honed his skills in his high school band and began playing with a young Ray Charles in Seattle’s vibrant club scene.

Jones’ career took off in New York, where he played trumpet in Elvis Presley’s early TV performances and worked with bebop legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1958, he was working with Frank Sinatra, arranging for the singer’s band at the request of Princess Grace Kelly. Their partnership flourished, spanning several projects including Sinatra’s final album LA Is My Lady in 1984.

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’ talents extended into film and television scores, composing music for films such as The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and the acclaimed The Color Purple, for which he earned three Oscar nominations. He also scored hit TV shows including The Bill Cosby Show and Roots.

In 1985, Jones produced and co-conducted the charity anthem “We Are the World” alongside Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raising millions for Ethiopian famine relief. Despite personal and professional challenges—including surviving a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1974—Jones’s career continued to thrive.

Jones’ influence wasn’t limited to music. In 1990, he founded Quincy Jones Entertainment, the company behind the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. His media ventures also included the creation of Qwest TV, an on-demand music streaming service, and the magazine Vibe, which celebrated Black music and culture.

Over his career, Jones earned 80 Grammy nominations, winning 28—making him one of the most decorated artists in the award’s history. Tributes poured in following news of his death. Actor Michael Caine, who shared Jones’ birthdate, called him “a wonderful and unique human being.” Music artists such as LL Cool J expressed gratitude, saying, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed one. Music would not be music without you.”

Jones is survived by his seven children, leaving behind an indelible legacy that will resonate through generations to come. His life’s work transformed music, television, and culture, proving that there truly was no limit to what Quincy Jones could accomplish.

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Prayers Won’t Build Roads, Fund Children’s Education – Jesse Jagz To Nigerians

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Singer and rapper Jesse Jagz has called on Nigerians to rethink their approach to religion.

Jagz suggested that African traditional religious gods have become ineffective, attributing this to the excessive alcohol given to them during rituals, which, according to him, has made them obese, diabetic, and unable to aid their worshipers.

Speaking on the ‘Big Talk’ podcast, the rapper also criticized followers of foreign religions for relying solely on prayer and expecting miracles without putting in the necessary effort. He stressed that prayers alone cannot provide essential social services or infrastructure.

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“When you go to a shrine and you see the priest pouring gin on the gods, Google how much a bottle of gin was in slavery. 40 slaves.

“Our gods are drunk on alcohol and meat. They are obese and diabetic.

“They can’t help us do anything. Prayers do not build roads or buy books for children. We have forgotten humanity,” he said.

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Presidents Invite Me To Dinner Wherever I Go – Davido Boasts

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Renowned Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, known by his stage name Davido, has stated that he receives special treatment globally due to his celebrity status.

The Afrobeats sensation mentioned that he is frequently invited to presidential dinners in nearly every country he visits, with the exception of the United States and the United Kingdom.

In a recent interview with Kiss Fresh London, Davido confidently shared that his fanbase includes influential figures such as the World Bank president, presidents of powerful nations, and other notable personalities.

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“Every country we go to, the President invites us for dinner except London [United Kingdom] and the United States of America.

“It’s beautiful to see. I mean, leaving my country, Nigeria, and people welcoming me like the president in other countries, shows how well Nigeria is doing around the world in terms of music and cultural impacts,” he said.

Davido has expressed that he feels most respected in Africa, which is why he cherishes his African tours more than those in Europe and America, even though the latter bring him greater financial rewards.

He shared that his Jamaican collaborator, YG Marley, was astonished by the immense admiration from fans when he visited Nigeria for the video shoot of their joint hit, ‘Awuke.’

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