Former President Donald Trump Faces New Charges: 2020 Election-Related Prosecution
Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted again for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. On August 27, Mr. Trump was indicted on an amended federal indictment, following up on similar charges in an indictment filed in August 2023. These include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and obstruction and attempted obstruction of legal processes.
A notable difference in this amended indictment is the focus on Mr. Trump’s role as a candidate for re-election, rather than as president at the time of the events. The 36-page indictment, nine pages shorter than the original, relies on testimony and evidence from witnesses primarily outside the US government. Notably, the charges that Mr. Trump tried to pressure the US Justice Department were dropped, along with the removal of former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark from the list of co-defendants.
Earlier, on July 1, the US Supreme Court declared that the president has immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his term. The office of special prosecutor Jack Smith said the amended indictment was presented to a completely new jury that had not heard evidence in the case. This reflects the US government’s efforts to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling and comply with the guidelines related to detention.
Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington will make a decision in the coming weeks based on the Supreme Court’s exemption decision. According to Reuters, the possibility of this case being tried before the US election on November 5 is very low. Attorney Bradley Moss said the amended indictment reflects an attempt by the Justice Department to narrow the scope of the facts to fit the immunity ruling.
In response to the new indictment, former President Trump took to the social media platform Truth to criticize, accusing “Mr. Smith of rewriting the case to circumvent the Supreme Court of the United States.” Just two hours after the indictment was filed, Mr. Trump’s campaign sent out an email asking voters to donate to support his legal fight.
