News

Revised Charges Issued Against Trump in 2020 Election Interference Case Following Supreme Court Ruling

U.S. prosecutors have revised the charges against former President Donald Trump related to his alleged efforts to interfere in the 2020 election, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that granted presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts while in office.

The updated indictment maintains the same four criminal counts against Trump—charges he denies—but now ties them to his status as a political candidate rather than a sitting president. The charges are unlikely to reach court before the 2024 election on November 5.

Trump has continued to deny allegations of election interference and maintains, without evidence, his claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The revised indictment, filed by Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith, keeps intact the four charges against Trump: conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. Trump has previously pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump’s personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, declined to comment, directing inquiries to the Trump campaign, which did not respond. On Truth Social, Trump called the new indictment “an effort to resurrect a ‘dead’ Witch Hunt” and a distraction from the upcoming election, demanding it be “dismissed IMMEDIATELY.”

A source close to Trump’s legal team told CBS News that the revised indictment was expected. “This is what the government is supposed to do based on what the Supreme Court did,” the source said, reiterating their belief that the case should be dismissed as flawed.

The new charging document, condensed from 45 to 36 pages, refines the language of the allegations and aligns them with the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. For instance, the revised indictment omits the claim that Trump pressured Justice Department officials to overturn the 2020 election results, which the court ruled was not illegal.

The special counsel’s office explained in a statement that the superseding indictment was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously reviewed the case’s evidence. A grand jury is tasked with determining whether sufficient evidence exists to pursue prosecution. The Department of Justice declined to provide further comment.

Kindly share this story:
Kindly share this story:
Share on whatsapp
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on telegram
Share on facebook
Top News

Related Articles