Donald Trump faced charges today in an investigation led by the Justice Department regarding his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent riot at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
The charges leveled against him include conspiracy to defraud the United States government and witness tampering.
This indictment, the third criminal case against the former president as he aims for a White House comeback in 2024, follows a lengthy federal investigation into Trump and his allies’ efforts to undermine the peaceful transition of power and keep him in office, despite his clear loss to Joe Biden.
Tuesday’s criminal case is particularly shocking, even within a year filled with legal challenges for Trump. It alleges that a former president intentionally attacked the foundations of democracy in a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful bid to retain power.
According to federal prosecutors, Trump was “determined to remain in power” through conspiracies that targeted a fundamental function of the United States government – the collection, counting, and certification of presidential election results.
Trump is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
The timing of this criminal case coincides with Trump’s lead in the race for the Republican party’s presidential nomination. It is highly likely that he and his supporters, including some of his rivals, will dismiss this as yet another politically motivated prosecution. However, the charges stem from one of the most serious threats to American democracy in recent history.
These charges primarily focus on the tumultuous two months following the November 2020 election. During this time, Trump refused to accept his defeat, spread unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him, and urged local election officials to overturn the results in their states. Notably, he also put pressure on former Vice President Mike Pence to halt the certification of electoral votes. These actions culminated in the violent U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, where Trump’s supporters breached the building and disrupted the counting of electoral votes.
The indictment was anticipated since Trump revealed in mid-July that the Justice Department had informed him of his status as a target in the ongoing investigation into the January 6 events. Additionally, a bipartisan House committee that extensively investigated the run-up to the Capitol riot recommended Trump’s prosecution on charges including aiding an insurrection and obstructing an official proceeding.
The multiple criminal cases against Trump, along with various civil cases, are unfolding amidst the intensity of the 2024 race. Conviction in this case, or any other, would not disqualify Trump from running for the presidency or assuming office.
In New York, state prosecutors have charged Trump with falsifying business records related to a pre-election hush money payment to a porn actor. The trial is set to commence in late March.
In Florida, the Justice Department has brought over three dozen felony charges against Trump, accusing him of illegal possession and concealment of classified documents after leaving the White House. The trial is scheduled for late May.
The latest federal indictment against Trump heavily focuses on his actions in Washington. The trial will take place in a courthouse situated between the White House, where he previously resided, and the Capitol, which his supporters stormed. No trial date has been established.
Prosecutors in Georgia are also investigating Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn his election loss to Biden in 2020. The district attorney of Fulton County is expected to announce a decision regarding indictments against the former president in early August.
The investigation into Trump’s election interference was spearheaded by special counsel Jack Smith at the Justice Department. Smith’s team of prosecutors interviewed senior Trump administration officials, including Pence and top lawyers from the Trump White House, before a grand jury in Washington.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer during the post-election legal challenges, voluntarily spoke to prosecutors as part of a proffer agreement, protecting his statements from being used against him in any future criminal case.
Prosecutors also interviewed election officials from several states, including Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan, who faced pressure from Trump and his associates to alter voting results in Biden’s favor.
The Justice Department’s investigation into election meddling began prior to Smith’s appointment and ran concurrently with separate investigations into the January 6 rioters. More than 1,000 individuals have been charged in connection with the insurrection, some with seditious conspiracy.
Contributors: Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Lindsay Whitehurst, and Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press
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