5 Key Details in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Trump Election Case Filing
Special counsel Jack Smith has filed a 165-page document detailing his case against former President Donald Trump for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election. Here are five key points from the filing:
1. **Private Scheme**: Smith argues that Trump’s actions were not official acts, but rather a private scheme to disrupt the election process. This is significant because the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that a president is immune from prosecution for official acts.
2. **Co-Conspirators**: The filing outlines Trump’s involvement with private co-conspirators who helped him pursue multiple criminal means to disrupt the election. This includes lying to state officials, manufacturing fraudulent electoral votes, and attempting to enlist Vice President Mike Pence to obstruct Congress’s certification of the election.
3. **January 6, 2021**: On January 6, 2021, Trump allegedly directed an angry crowd of supporters to the U.S. Capitol to obstruct the congressional certification of the election. This event is highlighted as a critical moment in the alleged conspiracy.
4. **Deceitful Efforts**: Smith claims that the throughline of these efforts was deceit. Trump and his co-conspirators allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct the official proceeding of Congress certifying the legitimate results of the presidential election and to undermine the rights of millions of Americans to vote and have their votes counted.
5. **Legal Expert Reactions**: Legal experts have been shocked by the details in the filing, particularly by Trump’s alleged response to news about Vice President Pence’s safety. According to the filing, when informed that Pence had been moved to a secure location for his safety, Trump allegedly replied, “So what?” This comment has been described as particularly disturbing by legal analysts.
