Special counsel Jack Smith, speaking at his office in Washington, made a statement to reporters on the 37-count federal grand jury indictment against former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of unauthorized retention of classified documents and collusion. Attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Special counsel Jack Smith has filed a motion to dismiss all four felony charges against President-elect Donald Trump related to his attempts to overturn his 2020 conviction ahead of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. related to the presidential election.
Trump is the first Indicted on four felonies in August 2023: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings, obstruction and attempted obstruction of official proceedings, conspiracy to violate rights. The case was subsequently shelved for months as the Trump team investigated. debate Trump cannot be prosecuted.
The indictment marks a remarkable moment in American history – the first time ever that a president has been charged with unlawfully seeking power.
The firing also marked a historic moment. Fifty years after Richard Nixon was forced to resign by lawmakers from both parties over accusations of criminal conduct, half of American voters will return Trump to the presidency despite his own serious allegations of criminal misconduct while in office .
“The government’s position on the merits of the defendants’ prosecution has not changed,” Smith’s office wrote in Monday’s filing. “But circumstances have changed.” He added that in line with the Justice Department’s long-standing position, the government is seeking to dismiss the cases before Trump takes office. accusation.
“This injunction is absolute and does not depend on the seriousness of the alleged crimes, the strength of the government’s evidence, or the substance of the prosecution, which the government fully supports,” the special counsel added.
The Supreme Court’s July ruling gave Trump an early victory in the case About Presidential Immunity. but one New federal grand jury indicts Trump on same four counts In August, he again accused Trump of making false claims about massive voter fraud during the 2020 election that were “unsupported by evidence, objectively unreasonable, and constantly changing” and that Trump “knew they were false.”
Publicly, Trump has never admitted that his election claims were actually false, and he has pleaded not guilty in the case.
Trump spokesman Steven Chang said in a statement, “Today’s decision by the Department of Justice ends the unconstitutional federal case against President Trump and is a major victory for the rule of law. The American people and President Trump want an immediate end to President Trump’s political Weaponized”. Our justice system, we look to unite our country. “
Smith’s team wrote that after Trump was re-elected as president, the special counsel’s office was caught between “two fundamental and compelling national interests.” “On the one hand, the Constitution requires that the President shall not be unduly impeded in the performance of his vital duties…On the other hand, the nation’s commitment to the rule of law and the long-standing principle that “no one” is so high in this country that he is He is above the law.
Smith and his team plan to resign before Trump takes officea source told NBC News earlier this month. Special counsel rules require Smith to submit a report to the attorney general explaining his charging decision before resigning.
Many of the January 6 defendants told the judge they lamented that they “gullible“It’s enough to believe Trump’s lies, echoed by the president-elect’s allies, congressional Republicans and conservative influencers on social media.
The Justice Department’s focus is on arresting “most shocking” Riots erupted before Trump returned to office. The president-elect has said he will pardon An unidentified segment of the Jan. 6 rioters he called “warrior,” “incredible patriot“political prisoners and”hostage”.
He is expected to pass through the Lower West Tunnel, where some of the worst violence occurred on January 6, and be sworn in as president on January 20, 2025.
