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Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on four counts for his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The indictment comes after a federal grand jury considered evidence in Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into attempts by Donald Trump and his associates to reverse the 2020 election results. The grand jury voted to charge the former president, according to a court document.
This is the third criminal indictment against former president Trump, who is currently running for the 2024 Republican nomination. No other incumbent or former president has ever been criminally indicted in United States history.
What Are the Charges?
According to the indictment text, Trump was charged with four counts related to his interference in the 2020 election. The charges are as follows: 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.
Trump’s Indictment the Latest in a Series of Legal Troubles
Special Counsel Jack Smith led the investigation, concurrent to his separate probe into allegations of Trump's unauthorized retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort after his departure from the White House in 2021. Trump faces 40 counts in relation to his purported attempts to hide these records from the government, as additional charges were added last week, tied to allegations that he tried to erase surveillance video from his Palm Beach club.
Trump has entered a plea of not guilty in the classified documents case, with the trial due to commence in May.
In another case, Manhattan prosecutors have indicted Trump, accusing him of tampering with business records as part of an alleged scheme to silence women claiming to have had extramarital affairs with him, by paying them hush money ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump also faces a possible indictment in Georgia, where his efforts to reverse President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory in the state are under investigation in Fulton County.
Even if convicted and sentenced, Trump has pledged to continue his campaign. Currently, he remains the leading contender for the Republican nomination, with recent national polls showing him far ahead of his closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by a wide margin.