To the editor:

Donald Trump is the first United States president charged with violating the Espionage Act of 1917. If found guilty, it could result in a $10,000 fine, a prison sentence of 20 years or both.

A federal grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump on seven criminal counts in relation to how he handled sensitive White House documents after his presidential term.

The bombshell news that Donald Trump had been indicted on at least seven criminal counts Thursday sheds more light on a startling aspect of the federal investigation into this alleged mishandling of White House documents that the former president is being accused of violating the Espionage Act and other laws related to national security. The federal indictment charges Trump with willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act — making false statements and conspiring to obstruct justice. Trump’s indictment comes months after the release of a previously sealed search warrant that was executed by the FBI at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home last August.

Under a section labeled “property to be seized,” the warrant indicates that the FBI agents were seeking “all physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime or other items illegally possessed in violation of” three sections — 2071, 1519 or 793, better known as the Espionage Act — in Title 18 of the United States Code.

To all Americans, this is how Trump mishandled our most vital national security information, endangering thousands of agents and our reputation around the world!

Elise Stefanik supports Trump! Remember that in the next election!

Joe DeMarco

Jay