Special counsel Jack Smith announces new Trump charges, calling Jan. 6 an

Washington — Special counsel Jack Smith announced new charges against former President Donald Trump stemming from his office’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election, saying the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was “fueled by lies.”

“The attack on our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,” Smith said in a brief remarks after the release of the 45-page indictment detailing the charges. “As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government: the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.”

Trump is charged with with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. 

Smith’s investigation has examined efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn President Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, including the events that led up to the Jan. 6 attack. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claimed Smith is politically biased.

It’s the second indictment against Trump stemming from Smith’s investigations into the former president. He is also charged with conspiracy, obstruction and willfully retaining national defense information for his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House. Trump has pleaded not guilty.