Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to his alleged efforts to steal the 2020 election from President Joe Biden. The indictment includes four counts: 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. Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation, described the January 6th insurrection as an "unprecedented assault" on democracy, fueled by lies from Trump.
The indictment outlines various strategies employed by Trump and his allies to overturn the election results. These tactics included a "fake elector" scheme to invalidate Biden's victories in key battleground states, as well as deliberately deceiving supporters and directing them to march on the Capitol to pressure Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers to reject the certification of electors. The indictment also references six co-conspirators, including high-ranking Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.
Trump, who is facing his third criminal case, denied any wrongdoing and labeled the indictment as an attempt to derail his 2024 presidential campaign. He questioned why the charges were not brought earlier and accused prosecutors of misconduct. Trump is already facing charges related to mishandling classified documents and falsifying business records.