Former President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and stay in office.
The indictment, which was handed down and unsealed Tuesday, describes the plot to overturn the 2020 election which culminated in the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Even before that, Trump engaged in a pressure campaign on state election workers, lawmakers and others, the indictment said.
You can read the entire document here.
As part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, Trump was charged with:
1.Conspiracy to defraud the United States
2.Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
3.Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding
4.Conspiracy against rights
Here’s what else we learned today:
Co-conspirators: Six co-conspirators are included in the indictment. In the documents, they are not named because they have not been charged with any crimes, but based on quotes in the indictment and other context, CNN can identify five of the six. Those include former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and Sidney Powell as well as former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.
January 6 insurrection: Trump and co-conspirators “exploited” the January 6 attack by continuing efforts to convince members of Congress to delay the certification of the election that day, the indictment alleges. Smith, in public remarks Tuesday, called the insurrection an “unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy” that was “fueled by lies” told by the former president.
Calls during the insurrection: In a phone call the evening of the riot, Trump refused a request from White House Counsel Pat Cipollone to withdraw his objections and allow for Congress’ certification of the 2020 election results, the indictment said. It also describes phone calls that Co-Conspirator 1 — who appears, based on the description, to be Giuliani — made to members of Congress that evening asking senators to “object to every state.”
Knowingly spreading lies: According to the indictment, prosecutors said that Trump knowingly pushed false claims of voter fraud and voting machines allegedly switching votes — despite state and federal officials telling the former president the claims were wrong. The indictment said Trump continued to repeat these claims for months despite being told and knowing they were false.
Fake electors: Trump and his co-conspirators effectively tricked individuals from seven targeted states into creating and submitting certificates asserting they were legitimate electors, the indictment said. The goal was to create a “fake controversy” at the certification proceeding on December 14, 2020, and position the vice president “to supplant legitimate electors” with Trump’s fake ones.
Pressure on elected officials: Trump “lied” to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “to induce him” to overturn the election, prosecutors said. The indictment also highlights how Trump “disparaged” election workers and “raised allegations” of voter fraud that had already been debunked by Georgia officials.
Connection to January 6 rioters: Two of the counts Trump is facing are brought under provisions included in a federal witness tampering statute that has also been used to prosecute some of the rioters who breached the Capitol. The judge assigned Trump’s case, US District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, is known for being among the harshest sentencers in the January 6 Capitol riot cases.
Reaction: Leaders in Congress are so far split along partisan lines in their reaction to Trump’s indictment. Lawmakers loyal to Trump have released statements defending him and attacking the Department of Justice. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the special counsel and his team “have followed the facts and the law.” The White House declined to comment, according to a spokesperson.
What happens next: Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday afternoon. Smith said his office will seek a speedy trial. The legal process is also already underway in two other cases in which the former president faces criminal charges.
