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Former President Donald Trump was indicted by the Justice Department due to his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol on Aug. 1, 2023. The four criminal counts that the 77-year-old has been indicted with are as follows: “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,” per CNN.
In the indictment obtained by the news outlet, it stated that: “Shortly after election day, the Defendant also pursued unlawful means of discounting legitimate votes and subverting the election results.” This is the third indictment for Trump after he was charged in New York with falsifying business records and federally charged for mishandling classified documents. The Justice Department noted that Trump is expected to appear before a magistrate judge in Washington, DC, federal court at 4 PM ET on Aug. 3.
The same day as the latest indictment, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to release a statement on the matter. “Also, why are they putting out another Fake Indictment the day after the Crooked Joe Biden SCANDAL, one of the biggest in American history, broke out in the Halls of Congress??? A Nation In Decline!”, he wrote. He also followed up with a lengthy statement about the “latest corrupt chapter” in the “pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family” to allegedly “interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election.”
The indictment came just two weeks after Trump announced that he had received a target letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith ordering him to report to the grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 attack. “Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ sent a letter… stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always mean an Arrest and Indictment,” he said in a statement on his Truth Social platform on Jul. 18. Trump proceeded to call the indictments against him a “witch hunt,” and accused the Justice Dept. of “election interference,” as he’s running for president in 2024.
Back in December, the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack had made four criminal referrals to the Justice Department against Trump, after months of presenting evidence to show how he caused the attack. The committee had recommended charges of obstructing an official proceeding, attempting to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make false statements, and insurrection. Prior to making the criminal referrals, the House Select Committee had voted to subpoena Trump to testify about Jan. 6, but he didn’t comply with the subpoena. Amid the Jan. 6 hearings, Trump occasionally took to Truth Social to deny claims being made during the sessions, and denied any wrongdoing.
Trump was arrested in New York at the beginning of April, and he pleaded “not guilty” to 34 counts of falsifying business records, including an alleged hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied allegations of having an affair with the entertainer. He was arrested on federal charges of mishandling classified documents in Miami on June 13. He also pleaded “not guilty” to those charges and denied any wrongdoing.
When the first federal indictment was unsealed, Smith shared that it was important to emphasize that no one, not even a former U.S. president was above the law. “Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice, and our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world. We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone. Applying those laws, collecting facts, that’s what determines the outcome of an investigation,” he said in a press conference.
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James Crowley
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