A new indictment against Donald Trump was filed by Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday, focusing on his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The updated charges follow a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision granting former presidents broad immunity from prosecution.
The revised indictment no longer includes allegations that Trump pressured the Justice Department to support his unfounded claims of election fraud.This change comes after the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that Trump is immune from prosecution for his interactions with the Justice Department. As a result, the indictment also removes Jeffrey Clark, a Justice Department official who supported Trump’s false claims, from the list of co-conspirators. While the co-conspirators were unnamed, they have been identified through public records.
The special counsel’s office noted that the new indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, was issued by a grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in the case. The indictment still includes allegations that Trump attempted to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification of the electoral vote count. Chief Justice John Roberts highlighted that Trump’s interactions with Pence are considered official conduct, making him “presumptively immune” from prosecution.