Donald Trump Indicted: Charges of Election Fraud and Capitol Attack Threaten Former President

The six people were not named. However, at least five of them are identifiable from publicly available information. According to the transcripts of testimonies before the committee on January 6 and other records, these individuals appear to be:

• “Co-conspirator 1”: Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and longtime Trump attorney
• “Co-conspirators 2”: John Eastman, Trump’s legal adviser
• “Co-conspirator 3”: Sidney Powell, attorney for Donald Trump
• “Co-conspirators 4”: Jeffrey Clark, former Justice Department official
• “Co-conspirator 5”: Kenneth Chesebro, Attorney
• “Co-conspirator 6”: according to the indictment a “political adviser”

Charges brought against Trump for attempted election fraud

Update from August 2, 5:00 a.m.: Another historic charge against Donald Trump: the former US President faces a court hearing on January 6, 2021 for attempted election interference and his supporters’ attack on the US Capitol. The 45-page indictment charges Trump with four formal charges, including conspiracy against the United States. Two of the charges carry prison sentences of up to 20 years.

Special Counsel Jack Smith announced the indictment, unprecedented for a former president, on Tuesday evening (local time). He said Trump is accused of plotting to defraud the United States, disenfranchising voters and obstructing an official process.

Trump is scheduled to appear in court in Washington on August 3

Speaking to reporters, Smith said the storming of the Capitol was an “unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.” “They were fueled by lies,” he added. His office is now seeking a “speedy process” so that the “evidence can be examined in court and evaluated by a grand jury,” Smith announced.

The case is expected to be heard by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama. A first preliminary hearing in a federal court in the capital Washington was scheduled for August 3rd.

Donald Trump: Several counts of impeachment against the Republican

First report from August 1st: WASHINGTON – Former US President Donald Trump has been charged in connection with attempted election interference and the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. This emerges from the indictment, which was published on Tuesday evening (local time). He is charged with four counts.

It is the second federal charge against the 77-year-old and the third charge against the ex-president for a crime. Trump wants to run again for the Republican Party in next year’s presidential election. He denies all allegations and sees any legal action against him as an attempt by his opponents to prevent him from moving back into the White House.

Trump’s campaign team fumed that the charges were another attempt by President Joe Biden’s administration to interfere in the 2024 presidential election. This is reminiscent of what happened in Nazi Germany and other authoritarian regimes. Trump has always obeyed the law.

After the election defeat: Trump denied the result – supporters stormed the Capitol

Republican Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Biden. He never admitted his defeat, but has since stubbornly spread unsubstantiated claims and lies that massive electoral fraud robbed him of a victory. At the time, Trump and those around him tried to use various channels to subsequently overturn the result – including with lawsuits, but also with political pressure on decision-makers at federal level and in various states.

Trump’s campaign against the outcome of the election finally culminated in an unprecedented outbreak of violence on January 6, 2021: On that day, supporters of the Republican stormed the seat of the US Congress, where Biden’s election victory was to be formally confirmed at the time. Trump had once again goaded his supporters in a speech shortly before, claiming that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. A violent mob then invaded Congress. Five people died in the riots.

Investigations against Donald Trump: Special investigators collected evidence for months

The US Department of Justice appointed special counsel Jack Smith in November to outsource the politically sensitive investigation into Trump’s case. His team collected evidence against Trump for months and presented it to a jury. The so-called grand jury has now voted to indict Trump.

The Capitol attack had previously had a parliamentary aftermath: Trump had to face an impeachment trial in Congress because of January 6, 2021, where he was charged with “inciting riots”. However, the trial failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required for a conviction in the Senate, and Trump was ultimately acquitted. Later, a congressional committee of inquiry investigated the attack. At the end of its work, the committee accused Trump of several offenses and recommended that the Justice Department take action against the ex-president. However, such recommendations are not binding. (dpa)