The U.S. Department of Justice has published the report by Special Counsel Jack Smith on Donald Trump’s attempts to change the 2020 election results as the country gets ready for the inauguration of the next president.
According to CNBC, the report is expected to detail Smith’s decision to bring a four-count indictment against Trump accusing the president-elect of plotting to obstruct the collection and certification of votes following his 2020 defeat by Democratic President Joe Biden.
This final act from Smith, who concluded his tenure at the Justice Department last week, details key aspects of the criminal investigations that sought to hold Trump accountable for his actions after losing the election to President Joe Biden.
Trump’s Alleged Efforts to Overturn the Election
The public section of Smith’s report centers around the four-count indictment filed against Donald Trump.
- The charges accuse the former president of orchestrating a plan to obstruct the certification and collection of votes following his defeat in the 2020 election.
- The indictment highlights his efforts to undermine the electoral process, pressuring state officials and lawmakers, and ultimately attempting to create fraudulent electors to subvert the legitimate election results.
The investigation sheds light on how these actions culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, where a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed Congress in a failed attempt to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
Retention of Classified Documents
In a separate section of the report, Special Counsel Smith lays out the case against Trump for illegally retaining sensitive national security documents after leaving the White House in 2021.
- The Justice Department has, however, decided to withhold this portion of the report from the public due to ongoing legal proceedings involving two Trump associates who have been charged in the case.
- The ongoing investigation into the classified documents case, and the related legal proceedings, remain a significant legal challenge for Trump, as the investigation focuses on whether he mishandled sensitive materials after his presidency.
Legal Hurdles and Political Context
Despite the release of the report, Trump’s legal battles are far from over. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges, repeatedly dismissing the investigations as politically motivated attacks on his campaign and political movement.
- He has frequently criticized Smith, calling him “deranged” and claiming the cases were an attempt to harm his reputation and re-election bid.
- Moreover, Trump, along with his co-defendants in the classified documents case, had sought to block the public release of the report. They argued that it would be detrimental to their defense and to the integrity of legal proceedings.
However, the courts rejected these efforts, allowing the report to be made public ahead of Trump’s anticipated return to office on January 20, 2025.
Investigations and Findings
Smith’s investigation, along with a 2022 congressional report, has concluded that Trump played a central role in spreading false claims of voter fraud, attempting to pressure state officials to alter election results, and attempting to use fake electors to disrupt the certification of Biden’s victory.
- These actions led to a political and legal battle that culminated in the violent Capitol riot.
- The legal hurdles that Smith faced were significant, as Trump argued he could not be prosecuted for actions taken in his official capacity as president. The case was delayed for months, with Trump seeking to leverage his presidential immunity.
- Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court largely sided with Trump, granting former presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution in some circumstances, complicating Smith’s efforts to move forward.
What’s Next?
While the public release of the report brings the investigation into Trump’s actions closer to closure, many aspects of the case are still ongoing.
- Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department continue to clash over the contents of the report, and further proceedings, particularly related to the classified documents case, remain in flux.
- The report’s revelations may provide new insights into Trump’s actions, but it remains unclear how much new information will be included in the publicly available portions.
As Trump prepares for his potential return to office, the findings of Smith’s report are set to continue shaping the political and legal landscape, with many anticipating that these ongoing investigations could have lasting implications for Trump’s political future and the broader U.S. legal system.
