(ANSA) – NEW YORK, AUGUST 27 – Special prosecutor Jack Smith is not giving up and is reviewing the indictment against Donald Trump for the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6, taking into account the Supreme Court’s decision on immunity. A move that paves the way for a new legal battle with the former president’s lawyers on the definition of presidential immunity dictated by the High Court. The former president’s lawyers, according to CNN, were caught by surprise: they were expecting the superseding indictment but believed it would arrive in the fall. “A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has returned a superseding indictment, which charges the defendant with the same criminal offenses as the original indictment,” according to documents filed in court. “The superseding indictment, presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in the case, reflects the government’s efforts to respect and implement” the Supreme Court’s decision, Smith says in the new documents filed in court. It is 36 pages in total, less than the 45 of the initial indictment. None of the four charges against Trump are removed, but their scope is reduced and it is emphasized that the former president had no constitutionally assigned presidential duties regarding the post-election transition. “The defendant had no official responsibility for the vote certification process but had a personal interest in being named the winner of the election,” the documents continue, from which “co-conspirator Jeffrey Clark,” the former Justice Department official, is removed. Smith’s action comes in the midst of the election campaign and precedes the long-awaited debate between Trump and Kamala Harris, scheduled for September 10 on ABC. The vice president will meanwhile give her first interview since Joe Biden withdrew on Thursday: she will be with CNN from Georgia and her vice president Tim Walz will also participate. The long-awaited interview is a test for Harris and an exam in preparation for the face-to-face with Trump, which will have the same rules as the last debate on CNN between Trump and Joe Biden: therefore, the microphone will be turned off when the other candidate speaks, the debate will be standing, without notes. While waiting for the debate, the two candidates will challenge each other remotely in the swing states with the aim of winning important votes. To do so, Trump can now also count on the support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who intends to nominate honorary co-chairs of the transition team that will help him select the policies and personnel of his possible second administration. (ANSA).
2024-08-28 04:30:34