Combined, the alleged violations of federal law could result in more than three decades of prison time.
The warrant for the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on Monday listed three potential violations of federal law, which collectively could result in decades of prison time and fines, if the former president were ultimately indicted, prosecuted and convicted.
Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed publicly on Thursday that he signed off on the decision to carry out the raid. A federal judge approved the warrant, believing federal agents had shown probable cause to justify the search. Garland also announced that the Justice Department had filed a motion for the warrant to be unsealed.
The warrant, which became public on Friday afternoon, cited potential violations of federal laws 18 USC 2071—Concealment, removal or mutilation, 18 USC 793—Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information, and 18 USC 1519—Destruction, alteration or falsification of records in Federal investigations. Notably, 18 USC 793 is part of the Espionage Act, which legal experts had suggested over the past couple days Trump could allegedly have violated.
Federal law 18 USC 2071 carries a penalty of a fine or imprisonment for up to three years, or both. Meanwhile, 18 USC 1519 can result in a fine or imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both, and 18 USC 793 can lead to imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a fine.
