A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has brought charges against former President Donald Trump. The charges are related to Trump’s alleged attempts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The indictment includes charges of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, and Conspiracy Against Rights.
The indictment document starts with a statement that Trump, despite losing the election, was determined to stay in power. It alleges that for over two months following the election day, Trump spread false claims about election fraud and his victory. These claims, according to the indictment, were knowingly false, but Trump continued to disseminate them to create an atmosphere of mistrust and anger and to undermine public faith in the election process.
The indictment clarifies that the charges are not about Trump’s right to make false claims or challenge the election results. Instead, they are about specific actions that Trump allegedly took beyond making false claims and challenging the results in court.
The indictment identifies six co-conspirators who allegedly participated in the criminal efforts to overturn the election results. These co-conspirators include attorneys who spread false claims, devised strategies to obstruct the certification of the presidential election, and attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations. They also include a political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.
