A comprehensive report released by U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday concludes that former President Donald Trump orchestrated an “unprecedented criminal effort” to retain power after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. According to the report, this effort, which aimed to disrupt the certification of votes, was ultimately thwarted by the election of Joe Biden as President-elect.
The detailed report documents Smith’s decision to file a four-count indictment against Trump, charging him with plotting to obstruct the lawful collection and certification of votes following his loss to Biden. While the investigation found sufficient evidence to convict Trump, Smith noted that his imminent return to office on January 20, 2021, prevented the case from advancing to trial.
In response to the report, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, labeling Smith as a “lamebrain prosecutor” who failed to bring the case to trial before the election. Trump’s legal team also denounced the report in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, alleging that its release was part of a “politically-motivated attack” aimed at harming Trump’s presidential transition.
While much of the evidence cited in the report has been previously disclosed, new details shed light on the investigation’s broader scope. Notably, prosecutors considered charging Trump under the Insurrection Act for inciting the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. However, they ultimately determined that legal risks and insufficient evidence of Trump’s intent to incite the full scale of violence during the riot hindered such charges.
The indictment accuses Trump of conspiring to obstruct the election certification, defraud the United States, and deprive U.S. citizens of their voting rights. It further indicates that charges against some of Trump’s co-conspirators, who assisted in executing his plan, may have been warranted. However, no final conclusions were drawn about these individuals.
In addition to the election-related charges, Smith’s report includes a second section outlining Trump’s illegal retention of sensitive national security documents after leaving office in 2021. This segment remains sealed as legal proceedings continue against Trump’s associates involved in the case.
Despite the complexity of both cases, Smith defended the investigation’s integrity, firmly rejecting claims that his actions were politically motivated. “The assertion that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced by political figures is, in a word, laughable,” Smith stated in his report.
Trump’s legal team had previously sought to block the release of the report, citing concerns over its potential impact on his political campaign and the presidential transition. Courts, including U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, dismissed these demands, with some portions of the report still under legal scrutiny.
Trump, who faces multiple legal challenges, continues to maintain his innocence and regularly criticizes Smith’s investigation as politically biased.
Both the Special Counsel’s report and the 2022 congressional investigation have revealed that Trump spread false claims of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election, pressured state lawmakers to overturn results, and attempted to use fraudulent electors in states won by Biden. These efforts culminated in the violent January 6 Capitol attack, where Trump supporters attempted to prevent Congress from certifying the election results.
As the legal landscape continues to evolve, questions remain about the extent of accountability for Trump and his associates in the 2020 election subversion case. The ongoing investigations, combined with potential charges in relation to classified documents, suggest that Trump’s legal battles are far from over.
Read more: