Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury for multiple alleged crimes relating to his attempt to reverse the 2020 election. In an unprecedented 45-page indictment document, the former president was accused of knowingly spreading false information regarding the outcome of this vote in order to “create an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger, and erode public faith in the administration of the election.”
He is charged with four counts: conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct Congress’s certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory on January 6th, 2021, obstruction, and conspiracy against the right to vote.
Mr. Trump insists he is innocent, and has branded the charges an attempt to derail his 2024 presidential campaign. In a campaign email, he said he was being “persecuted” in a manner “reminiscent of Nazi Germany,” adding:
Biden’s Department of Justice has ONCE AGAIN INDICTED me—this time, over the events that took place on January 6th … As you know, I did nothing wrong. It’s well-documented that I told Americans to act ‘PEACEFULLY’ and discouraged the use of any violence. This is nothing but an egregious act of Election Interference and a final act of desperation from Crooked Joe as he crashes in the polls.
The entire Biden Administration knows that I’m the ONLY candidate who would defeat Crooked Joe in a free and fair election. They know how much support we have from the hardworking people of our country. But more importantly, they know that I’m the only candidate who can dismantle the Deep State and end their stranglehold on our nation.
The Wall Street Journal cites legal observers who described the new document as a “speaking indictment,” containing more information than is legally required to justify charges. It also lists six unnamed and unindicted conspirators.
This is just the latest in a long, open-ended list of legal troubles for the former president, some of which appear to have boosted his chances in next year’s election. The latest include maximum penalties, including 20 years in prison for attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, but defendants “rarely” face these punishments.
