Former President Donald Trump was indicted for an unprecedented third time on August 1, adding another set of serious federal charges to the mounting legal issues he faces.

Trump was indicted as part of the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation, led by special counsel Jack Smith, into the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol. The indictment marks the second time Trump has faced federal charges, and he remains the only president to have been federally indicted.

The indictment is the product of a months-long investigation in which Smith’s team questioned several high-profile members of Trump’s circle, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner and former White House communications director Hope Hicks. It follows the House January 6th committee’s investigation last year, which concluded that Trump incited the insurrection and conspired to defraud the US government, referring him and other associates to the DOJ for prosecution.

Trump seemed to know the indictment was coming. He posted August 1 on TruthSocial that Smith “will be putting out yet another Fake Indictment of your Favorite President, me,” and previously posted on the platform that he’d received what’s known as a target letter from Smith. He wrote, “They have now effectively indicted me three times,” and called the investigation a “WITCH HUNT” as well as “POLITICAL WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT” in that earlier, July 18 post.

  • PoppinKREAM@sh.itjust.works
    17·
    1 year ago

    In a phone call, Trump tried to pressure officials in Georgia into making tens thousands of votes disappear to try and steal the 2020 election. They found no illegal votes, refused to overturn the results and began receiving death threats from Trump’s supporters.[1](https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55153918)

    After Trump had exhausted all legal forms of overturning the election; From having over 60 frivolous lawsuits thrown out from all levels of courts including the conservative leaning Supreme Court (Trump picked 3 justices out of 9), after his Attorney General Barr resigned (an individual that covered/stalled investigations for Trump), Trump turned to his stalwart supporter in Vice-President Pence. A lie was pushed that Mike Pence could refuse to certify the election results as he presided over the counting of the ballots of the electoral college during the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6. Pence refused this illegal power grab. Having no further recourse Trump and his minions incited an insurrection during a rally Trump held at the same time the E.C. ballots were being certified. Trump’s supporters erected a gallows, stormed the capital where several people subsequently lost their lives including police officers. Politicians were incredibly lucky they escaped. For example Capitol Police Officer Goodman’s quick and heroic decision to lead an angry mob away from where congressionable members were hiding probably saved many lives. This mob was chanting hang Mike Pence, many of whom wore tactical gear, carried zip ties used, and used flagpoles, fire extinguishers, and chemical sprays as weapons while attacking those that protected Congress.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/07/mike-pence-donald-trump-republicans-religion-evangelical)

    1. BBC - Trump inciting violence, warns Georgia election official

    2. The Guardian - The martyrdom of Mike Pence

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