In a significant development, Donald Trump’s attorneys have reportedly been informed to expect an indictment against the former US president in connection with a federal investigation probing his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election defeat, as per a report by NBC News on Thursday, citing anonymous sources. However, the report did not specify the timeline for the potential indictment.
The investigation is being carried out by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is examining actions by Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, to challenge the results of the 2020 election, in which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Officials have testified that during his final months in office, Donald Trump exerted pressure with unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. These claims led to the shocking events of January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to halt Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump stated that he had received a letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith notifying him that he was a subject of the ongoing investigation.
Several US news outlets have reported that Donald Trump’s legal representatives have been meeting with officials in Jack Smith’s office at the Justice Department. Such meetings between defense attorneys and federal prosecutors are not uncommon before an indictment is issued.
If an indictment is indeed brought forth in the election case, it would mark the second set of federal charges against Donald Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed in November by US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Previously, Donald Trump’s attorneys had met with officials at the Justice Department, including Smith, before the former president was indicted by a grand jury in Miami in June. He pleaded not guilty to a 37-count indictment, which accused him of unlawfully retaining classified government documents after leaving office in 2021 and obstructing justice. Prosecutors alleged that he had jeopardized some of the most sensitive US national security secrets.
Before that, in March, a grand jury convened by Manhattan’s district attorney had brought the first charges against Donald Trump. In April, the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 charges related to falsifying business records concerning a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with him.
Despite these legal challenges, Donald Trump, aged 77, is leading a crowded field of Republican presidential candidates as he seeks a rematch with President Joe Biden, aged 80, in the upcoming election next year. The potential indictment looms large as it could have significant implications on his political ambitions and legal battles.
