After the indictment of former US president Donald Trump in a case of keeping classified documents after leaving the Oval Office in 2021, his lawyer Alina Habba said the files were declassified and he had done nothing wrong, adding that “the accusations against the 76-year-old are politically motivated.”
Habba said the former president “would not take a plea deal to minimise the fallout” from the case as he seeks his Republican nomination for the 2024 election.
The former president is scheduled to appear Tuesday in federal court in Miami on 37 charges, including violations of the Espionage Act, making false statements and conspiracy regarding his mis-handling of classified information, in his second indictment since he left office.
Earlier he was indicted regarding hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He denies all the charges and also pleaded not guilty.
“He would never admit guilt, because there was nothing wrong with declassifying documents,” Habba told Fox News, adding that “this is completely politically motivated. It’s election interference at its best.” She also portrayed the presidential candidate of 2024 opposition to federal agents rifling through his boxes during a search at his Mar-a-Lago home as frustration over officials going through his personal effects.
“He has every right to have classified documents that he declassified… things that are mementoes, things that he has a right to take.”
“So if I’m someone with documents that I have a right to have as the president who left the White House, do I want people rummaging through my personal items? No,” she stated.—AFP
