“Increasingly desperate plans”
Court document details Trump’s role in storming the Capitol
October 3, 2024, 12:39 a.m
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The highest court in the USA has decided that former President Trump can hardly be legally prosecuted for official actions. Prosecutors still want to bring him to court for attempting to manipulate the 2020 election results. Special Counsel Smith explains why in a document.
A newly published court document provides a detailed insight into the election manipulation allegations against former US President Donald Trump. In it, special prosecutor Jack Smith accuses the Republican of having committed crimes in the fight to retain power after losing the 2020 presidential election.
“With his accomplices, the defendant embarked on a series of increasingly desperate schemes to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he lost,” the 165-page document says. Trump is said to have knowingly lied to the public, election authorities and his own Vice President Mike Pence.
The document is related to the violent storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump is said to have deliberately incited his supporters to prevent the confirmation of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. As a result of these events, he was indicted on federal charges in the capital, Washington.
The indictment was renewed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in July that Trump enjoyed immunity for certain official acts. This decision forced Special Counsel Smith to adjust the allegations against Trump in order to further advance the case. The ex-president and current Republican presidential candidate has pleaded not guilty and described the charges as a “political witch hunt.”
The publication of the document – parts of which were blacked out – took place after the responsible judge Tanya Chutkan decided to make it available to the public. Smith’s team argues that Trump must be brought to justice “like any other citizen” for his “private crimes.” The prosecutors explain why Trump should not be immune from prosecution in the case, relying on witness statements, social media posts and direct statements from Trump, among other things.