Prosecutors Accuse Trump of Resorting to Crimes to Overturn Election
In a bold new court filing, prosecutors are alleging that Donald Trump “resorted to crimes” in a desperate attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Special Counsel Jack Smith, leading the election interference case against Trump, submitted the filing which was made public on Wednesday.
The filing challenges Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution, citing a landmark Supreme Court ruling that grants immunity for official acts conducted while in office. Prosecutors argue that Trump was not always acting in an official capacity and instead engaged in a “private criminal effort” to overturn the election results.
This 165-page court document may be the last opportunity for prosecutors to outline their case before Trump faces off against his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in next month’s election.
Prosecutors are pushing to advance the criminal case following the Supreme Court ruling in July, which prompted them to narrow the scope of their indictment. The filing alleges that some of Trump’s actions to overturn the election were related to his campaign and private life, not official acts.
Smith wrote in the filing that the court should determine that Trump must stand trial for his private crimes like any other citizen. The case has faced numerous delays since charges were filed over a year ago, accusing Trump of seeking to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
The filing reveals instances where Vice-President Mike Pence expressed doubt about Trump’s voter fraud claims and tried to persuade him to accept the election results. It also alleges that Trump was indifferent when he learned of Pence’s safety during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Trump’s lawyers tried to keep the filing sealed, calling it “falsehood-ridden” and “unconstitutional”. Trump himself labeled it a “hit job” and accused prosecutors of misconduct. The filing presents new evidence and a clear view of how prosecutors would present their case at trial.
It details Trump’s alleged plan to declare victory regardless of the outcome and his spread of false claims about the election. It also accuses him of sowing chaos in battleground states during the vote count. The filing claims Trump and his allies sought to exploit the violence at the Capitol to delay the election certification.
Despite Trump’s claims of a “complete victory”, a trial date is yet to be set. This case is far from over. — BBC
