Former US president Donald Trump was indicted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
A federal grand jury charged Trump on four counts on Tuesday (August 1). They are: 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 unsealed indictment says the former US president “was determined to stay in power” and “spread lies” saying he had won in order to overturn the election.
“These claims were false, and the Defendant knew that they were false.”
The Republican presidential hopeful has now been summoned to appear in a Washington DC court on Thursday at 16:00 local time before Judge Moxila Upadhyaya.
Minutes before the ruling, Trump on his Truth Social media platform said that he had heard to expect an indictment.
“I hear that Deranged Jack Smith, in order to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, will be putting out yet another Fake Indictment of your favorite President (sic),” he wrote.
This is the second time in two months, and third overall, that the Republican leader has been indicted in the criminal investigation by special counsel Jack Smith.
In June, Trump was charged with the retention of classified documents and conspiracy with a top aide to hide them from the government and his own attorneys.
In March, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Trump on state charges of falsifying business records.
In both of these cases, Trump pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team condemned the charges calling the recent indictment “the latest corrupt chapter” to meddle with the 2024 presidential elections.
The statement says that the fresh charges are part of “un-American witch hunts” and adds “the lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany”, and blamed a “weaponised” Department of Justice.
This is a developing story. More updates will be added soon
