U.S Attorney General, Merrick Garland has disclosed that investigation into an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election was the largest in his office’s history.
Garland disclosed, “Immediately after the January 6 attack on our democracy, the career men and women of the Justice Department engaged in what has become the largest investigation in our history.”
His statement follows after former U.S President, Donald Trump was indicted on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The 45-page indictment was filed in Washington DC, by Special Counsel Jack Smith and it is Trump’s third criminal indictment since March.
“Mr Smith and his team of experienced, principled, career agents and prosecutors have followed the facts and the law wherever they lead,” Garland said.
“Any questions about this matter will have to be answered by the filings made in a courtroom,” he added.
Charges against Trump in Tuesday’s indictment include one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S, one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and one count of obstructing an official proceeding.
The official proceeding stated in the indictment refers to the January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress held to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
According to the indictment, “Despite having lost, the Defendant was determined to remain in power.”
“So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the Defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won,” the indictment read.
Special Counsel Jack Smith disclosed on Tuesday that his office will seek a speedy trial, “so that our evidence can be tested in court and judged by a jury of citizens.”
Trump is to appear on Thursday, August 3, 2023, before U.S District Judge, Tanya Chutkan, a former assistant public defender who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama.
U.S law does not disqualify people charged with a crime from running for President. Nonetheless, Trump’s upcoming court dates could interfere with his campaign schedule.
The Justice Department has also charged Trump with 40 counts related to mishandling classified documents.
Five Of Six Co-Conspirators Revealed
Also, six co-conspirators were cited in the indictment. Trump is accused of enlisting the six to ‘assist him in his criminal efforts to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election and retain power.’
Although their names were not specified, five of the six have been identified thanks to descriptions given in the indictment.
They are Rudy Giuliiani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, as well as Jeffrey Clark.
Giuliani, identified as ‘co-conspirator 1’ is described as an Attorney “who was willing to spread knowingly false claims and pursue strategies” that Trump’s campaign managers refused to endorse.
Eastman, described in the indictment as having “devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the Vice President’s ceremonial role overseeing the certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election,” is ‘co-conspirator 2.’
Powell, has been identified as ‘co-conspirator 3.’ While the description for ‘co-conspirator 4’; “a Justice Department official who worked on civil matters and who, with the defendant, attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations and influence state legislatures with knowingly false claims of election fraud,” matches Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department Attorney.
‘Co-conspirator 5’ is Kenneth Chesebro, the indictment described him as “an Attorney who assisted in devising and attempting to implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential elections to obstruct the certification proceeding.”
‘Co-conspirator 6’, however, is yet unknown. The indictment described the person as a political consultant “who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.”
