Federal prosecutors say Donald Trump “resorted to crime” in a failed attempt to cling to power after losing the 2020 election, in a new claim that the former US president is not entitled to immunity from prosecution. He said in an unsealed court filing.
The filing was opened on Wednesday. The bill was introduced by Special Counsel Jack Smith's team in response to a Supreme Court opinion that granted broad immunity to former presidents and narrowed the scope of prosecution.
Trump's lawyers have employed a delay strategy in all of the numerous cases he faces, most of them successfully.
The 165-page filing likely means prosecutors will have to file a case against Trump before the Nov. 5 election, given that the trial won't take place before Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. This will be my last opportunity to elaborate.
Prosecutors revealed details, including allegations that a White House staffer heard President Trump telling his family that it didn't matter whether he won or lost the election, “we still have to fight like hell.'' did.
New filings seek to paint a portrait of an “increasingly desperate” president who “used deception to target every step of the electoral process” while losing control of the White House. cites previously unknown testimony provided by
“So what?” President Trump informed Vice President Mike Pence that he was in danger after a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to filings. After receiving the information, he reportedly told his aides.
“The details don't matter,” Trump said when his advisers told him that the lawyers pursuing the legal challenge would not be able to prove the false allegations in court, the filing said.
The filing includes details of conversations between Trump and Pence, including a private lunch the two had on Nov. 12, 2020, in which Pence asked Trump to “save face.” “We will not make any concessions, but we recognize that the process is unfair.” It’s over,” the prosecutor said.
At another private lunch a few days later, Pence urged Trump to accept the election results and run again in 2024.
“I don't know, but 2024 is far away,” Trump said, according to the filing.
But Trump “ignored” Pence, just as he ignored dozens of court decisions that unanimously rejected legal claims by Pence and his allies. lost, and his specific fraud charges were false,” prosecutors wrote.
“Although defendant was a sitting president during the time of the conspiracy charges, his plans were essentially private,” Smith's team wrote, adding, When he lost, he turned to crime to try to stay in office,” he added.
President Trump has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges accusing him of conspiring to obstruct Congress' certification of the election, defraud the United States of accurate results, and impede Americans' right to vote.
Prosecutors working with Smith say the remaining charges against Trump will survive the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts as president. He disclosed evidence to make his point.
Prosecutors say their filing will discuss new evidence, including witness interviews and transcripts of grand jury testimony, but much of that material will not be made public until trial.
Senior Trump administration officials appeared before a grand jury during the investigation, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Prosecutors filed a court filing Thursday, but U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan had to approve the redactions before they could be published.
Trump's lawyers opposed allowing Smith to submit extensive court documents revealing evidence weeks before the election, arguing it was inappropriate to do so weeks before the election. . They argue that the entire case should be thrown out based on the Supreme Court's ruling.
Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Chan called the preliminary letter “full of lies” and “unconstitutional,” saying Smith and Democrats are “desperate to weaponize the Justice Department to cling to power.” He reiterated his often-stated assertion.
“The publication of the unconstitutional J6 briefing, full of falsehoods, on the heels of Tim Walz’s disastrous debate performance is a sign that the Harris-Biden administration is attempting to undermine American democracy and interfere in this election. Another obvious attempt by
The US presidential election is a close one, with most national polls showing Harris with a small but solid lead over Trump. But the situation in crucial battleground states is more complex, and close contests in these key races will decide the election.
If Trump wins the election, he will likely direct the Justice Department to drop the charges.
Contributed by Reuters and Associated Press report
