Criminal Effort
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith has concluded that Donald Trump engaged in an “unprecedented criminal effort” to retain power after losing the 2020 presidential election, according to a report published on Tuesday.
Smith’s investigation revealed that Trump had plotted to obstruct the collection and certification of votes following his defeat by Democratic President Joe Biden.
The report indicates that there was enough evidence to convict Trump had the case gone to trial, but his imminent return to office, set for January 20, prevented any action from being taken before the election.
Smith’s decision to bring a four-count indictment against Trump stems from his efforts to subvert the election results. Trump was accused of conspiring to obstruct the election certification, defraud the U.S. government, and deprive American voters of their rights.
In the report, Smith defends the integrity of the investigation and the prosecutors who worked on the case, dismissing Trump’s claims that political motives from the Biden administration influenced the prosecution. Smith described such allegations as “laughable.”
Trump responded to the report by calling Smith a “lamebrain prosecutor” on his Truth Social platform, mocking the fact that the case could not be tried before the election.
Trump’s lawyers, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, criticized the report as a “politically-motivated attack” designed to undermine the presidential transition.
The report also reveals some new details about the investigation. Prosecutors considered charging Trump with inciting the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol under the Insurrection Act, but ultimately decided against it due to legal risks and insufficient evidence that Trump intended for the violence that occurred.
Despite this, the report outlines a wide range of activities Trump and his associates engaged in to thwart the election results, including spreading false claims of voter fraud, pressuring state lawmakers, and attempting to use fraudulent electors to block the certification of Biden’s win.
The indictment includes references to Trump’s former lawyers as co-conspirators, though prosecutors did not make final conclusions about charging them.
The report also addresses Trump’s alleged mishandling of sensitive national security documents after leaving office, but that portion of the investigation remains sealed as legal proceedings against Trump’s associates continue.
Smith’s investigation was delayed for months due to legal challenges, including Trump’s claim that he could not be prosecuted for actions taken during his presidency.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority largely sided with Trump, granting former presidents immunity from certain criminal prosecutions. Despite the hurdles, the report reflects a comprehensive investigation into Trump’s actions and his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.
