The days go by and so does the legal torment for Donald Trump. On Thursday, a group of American legal experts found that there was indeed enough evidence to prosecute the former American president over his attempt to stay in power illegally after the 2020 election.
The populist could be held accountable for his crimes under at least three US laws he allegedly violated, the group of federal prosecutors and defense attorneys concluded in an impeachment memorandum posted on Just Security’s website.
This is an evaluation of the evidence collected as part of the investigation, including by the commission of inquiry into the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and which is similar to the documents prepared by prosecutors before indictments in the United States.
Coincidence of times: On Tuesday, Donald Trump moved closer to another indictment in Georgia, where justice placed his fate in the hands of a new grand jury. The citizens’ group is due to decide in the coming weeks whether the charges against the ex-president are justified for trying to win over fake voters in the 2020 election in the southern state.
“Trump knew he had lost the election but did not want to relinquish power,” the memorandum said. He then tried with his lawyers and others to come up with a variety of plans to change the outcome. »
“Among these machinations was the production of forged ballot papers presented to Congress,” in violation of the Conspiracy Act, which “prohibits conspiracies to defraud the United States in the conduct of elections.” This tactic may also have violated laws prohibiting obstruction of government processes.
Several rioters who took part in the January 6, 2021 riots against the Capitol in Washington have been convicted under these laws, including members of the Oath Keepers and the supremacist and paramilitary group Proud Boys.
The rights group admits that after failing to get ex-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the vote, Trump and his entourage “started a riot in hopes that it would divert Congress from its course.” The case delayed “the transfer of power for the first time in American history” and now faces possible populist charges of instigating an insurgency and “aiding or assisting insurgents,” they write.
They add: “A series of convictions against several of the insurgent leaders on seditious conspiracy charges laid the groundwork for insurgency charges against Trump. […] We believe there is enough evidence for a prosecution [l’ex-président]as proposed [la commission d’enquête], but prosecutors may decide differently. »
audition round
The memorandum comes as Special Counsel Jack Smith, hired by the Justice Department to investigate the ex-president’s alleged criminal interference in the 2020 election, has met with several witnesses, lawmakers, secretaries of state and Donald Trump’s allies. On Thursday, The New York Times reported that Donald Trump’s son-in-law and ex-adviser Jared Kushner testified before a grand jury in Washington last month.
These hearings indicate that a decision to prosecute the ex-president is imminent.
The expert group also believes that an “indictment during the summer” in the case of the Capitol Hill riot would make it possible not to interfere too much with the American election calendar. ” The case [serait] decided within a year, before the Republican National Convention in July 2024.” The event marks the start of the final campaign between Democrats and Republicans for the November election.
The Republican is trying for a third time to get his ticket to the White House in the 2024 presidential election.
Recall that the Commission of Inquiry into the events of January 6, 2021 also recommended indictments against several other Donald Trump relatives, including John Eastman, the attorney who sought to force Mike Pence into action so that he could obtain certification rejects election results, and Kenneth Chesebro, a little-known lawyer who helped develop a fake voter certificate system.
So far, the former president has been arrested twice and taken to court. In New York, he is accused of forging documents in a bribery case aimed at silencing a witness to a sex story. In Florida, he was accused of unlawfully keeping classified documents at his private home in Mar-a-Lago and refusing to cooperate in their return. Many of these documents can endanger the security of the country.
The populist has pleaded not guilty to all of the allegations against him.
In recent months, the legal vice surrounding Donald Trump has continued to intensify. On Thursday, Arizona’s Attorney General announced that he is continuing to investigate a possible attempt by Donald Trump and his relatives to overturn the 2020 election in that southern state.
At a political rally in Iowa this week, Donald Trump reiterated his allegations of voter fraud to which he allegedly fell in 2020. This fraud has never been proven, even in recounts conducted in Republican-controlled states.
Although 56.3% of Americans have a negative opinion of the ex-president, according to the latest YouGov poll for The Economist, released this week, Donald Trump remains the favorite in the running for the nomination by around 30 points Republicans poised to vote against his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.