The former leader of the United States, Donald Trump, has divulged via a statement on Truth Social, a social media platform, that he has been informed by the special counsel Jack Smith of his status as a potential defendant in the criminal probe into the alleged attempt to nullify the results of the 2020 election.
This revelation hints at the prospect of Trump soon facing charges issued by the special counsel.
Trump penned his indignation about the notice he received from the “unhinged” Jack Smith, who represents President Biden’s Department of Justice, in a post shared on a Sunday evening. According to Trump, Smith has presented him as a subject of interest in the grand jury investigation linked to the events of January 6th and allowed him a brief period of four days to appear before the Grand Jury – a situation that, in Trump’s view, often signifies impending arrest and indictment.
Trump asserted his constitutional right to express his dissent towards an election outcome he firmly believes was manipulated, likening his protestations to those made by the Democrats in response to his own electoral win in 2016, as well as those voiced in numerous instances throughout history.
Two individuals privy to the proceedings verified the fact that Trump was indeed in receipt of the said letter.
Interestingly, Trump had previously received a similar target letter from Smith prior to being indicted in a separate probe concerning the inappropriate management of classified documents.
While the special counsel’s spokesperson refrained from making any comments, it’s evident that the focus of the prosecutors now primarily rests on Trump’s role in the bid to invalidate the 2020 election result, rather than the activities of those in his circle who attempted to halt his electoral defeat.
Justice Department guidelines allow for the provision of notifications to subjects of an investigation indicating their transformation into a potential target. A notification of this nature usually indicates a potential indictment in the future, though it’s feasible that the subject might not face charges in the end.
Such notifications aren’t mandatory, but it is within the discretion of the prosecutors to inform the subjects of their target status. Upon receiving notification, the individual designated as the target is accorded the chance to present their evidence or choose to offer their testimony before the grand jury, should they decide to exercise this right.
Smith has been rigorously probing the attempts to reverse the 2020 election outcome, with a particular focus on the events leading up to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The investigation includes the dubious presentation of fraudulent electors in states where Trump was defeated, as well as the efforts to coerce his then-Vice President Mike Pence into rejecting the election results during the formal certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College triumph on January 6.
As of today, the grand jury scrutinizing the alleged interference in the 2020 election is convening at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC.
A multitude of witnesses have already provided their accounts to the prosecutors and testified before the grand jury. This includes a comprehensive roster of Trump’s closest aides during his tenure at the White House, and the former Vice President Mike Pence.
Over the recent months, the prosecutors have held conversations with election officials from the seven key states where Trump’s campaign falsely alleged fraudulent activities and appointed sham electors post the 2020 election.
A focal point of the prosecutors has been the disordered meeting held in the Oval Office in December 2020, in the waning days of Trump’s administration. During this meeting, Trump’s confidants deliberated over strategies to overturn the election, including the confiscation of voting machines, the appointment of a special counsel to investigate alleged voter fraud, and the instigation of martial law.
Several of Trump’s legal representatives have cooperated with the federal investigators. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former attorney, conducted a voluntary, two-day interview with investigators last month. This covered a multitude of subjects, including the chaotic December 2020 meeting that Giuliani himself attended.
Giuliani’s legal counsel, Robert Costello, confirmed that Giuliani hasn’t received a target letter thus far.