The Mar-a-Lago Reading Room

On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 charges, including obstruction and unlawful retention of defense information stemming from his mishandling of classified records stored at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

The federal indictment against Trump alleges he failed to hand over classified documents to the National Archives, a protocol stipulated under the Presidential Records Act that requires all presidents to turn over official documents upon leaving office. Federal agents first seized hundreds of classified records in August of 2022.

Since news first broke on the indictment, Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has accused the prosecuting team of taking part in a politically-motivated scheme.

"We have a rigged country. We have a country that's corrupt. We have a county that's got no borders. We have a country that's got nothing but problems. We're a nation in decline and then they do this stuff — and you see where the people are,” Trump told supporters at the Versailles Restaurant in Miami following his court appearance.

The latest indictment marks the second such legal filing to be issued against the former president, and may prove to not be his last as officials are also investigating whether he allegedly took part in efforts to overturn election results in Georgia for the 2020 election.

Even if convicted over the Mar-a-Lago charges, officials have stated it's unlikely to bar Trump from running for president as there is no law that would prevent his bid. A conviction by the US Senate during earlier impeachment proceedings would have proved the only means to block a presidential run.