BREAKING NEWS: Former US President Donald Trump Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud US
1 August 2023: Former US President Donald Trump has been charged with plotting to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The indictment includes four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US, tampering with a witness, and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. These charges come as the result of an inquiry into events surrounding the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.
In response to the charges, Mr. Trump, who is currently running for president again, denies any wrongdoing, calling the case “ridiculous” on social media. This is not the first time the former president has faced legal issues, as he has already been charged in two other cases related to mishandling classified files and falsifying business records.
The investigation into the election has focused on Mr. Trump’s actions during the two-month period between his loss to Joe Biden and the Capitol riot. The special counsel leading the inquiry, Jack Smith, described the attack on the Capitol as an “unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.” Smith also emphasized that Mr. Trump is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and he pledged to seek a speedy trial.
Mr. Trump is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday in Washington DC. The indictment also lists six unnamed co-conspirators, including lawyers, a justice department official, and a political consultant. The court document accuses Mr. Trump of a “conspiracy to impair, obstruct, and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud, and deceit.”
Prosecutors have addressed Mr. Trump’s allegations of voter fraud, stating that these claims were false and that he knew they were false. They also revealed that Mr. Trump tried and failed to convince Vice-President Mike Pence to block Mr. Biden’s certification as president on January 6, 2021. As violence ensued, prosecutors argue that Mr. Trump and his co-conspirators exploited the disruption to further push false claims of election fraud.
The indictment also highlights that numerous US officials and senior Trump campaign workers informed the former president that he had lost the election and that there was no evidence of voter fraud. These latest charges add to the growing number of criminal counts Mr. Trump now faces and could complicate his second run for the White House.
Both the Trump campaign and his Republican rivals for the 2024 presidential nomination have responded to the charges. The Trump campaign released a statement calling the indictment election interference and compared the investigations to authoritarian regimes. Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the weaponization of the federal government, while former Vice-President Mike Pence emphasized the importance of putting the Constitution above personal interests.
Democratic leaders in Congress delivered a joint statement, noting that this indictment is the most serious and consequential thus far and serves as a reminder that no one, including a president, is above the law.
In addition to the charges filed in Washington DC, prosecutors in Georgia are also investigating Mr. Trump on similar grounds. These investigations focus on whether he illegally pressured officials in Georgia to disregard Mr. Biden’s victory. Prosecutors in Atlanta are expected to make a decision on whether to indict Mr. Trump later this month.
Furthermore, Republicans in other states are also under investigation for their alleged involvement in Mr. Trump’s efforts to prevent Mr. Biden from assuming office. In Michigan, former Republican attorney general candidate and another Trump supporter have been charged with tampering with voting machines to prove widespread voter fraud.
The riot at the US Capitol led to Mr. Trump’s second impeachment, making him the first US president in history to be impeached twice.
As these charges unfold, it remains to be seen how they will impact Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and the upcoming 2024 election.