The Shadow
Former President Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday, Aug 1, 2023 by a federal Grand Jury on charges relating to alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election results, according to official documents filed in a District of Columbia federal court. Trump, who lost the 2020 election, has been accused of conspiracy to defraud the United States, tampering with witnesses, conspiracy against citizens’ rights, and the obstruction and attempted obstruction of an official proceeding.
These charges, filed by a District of Columbia federal court, join a growing list of indictments against Trump. Earlier this year, Trump was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in March and 37 counts of mishandling classified documents in June.
Concurrently, he faces scrutiny in a separate investigation led by a Fulton County, Georgia, prosecutor into alleged attempts to pressure state election officials. Alongside these criminal cases, Trump is defending himself in two civil lawsuits, one of which concluded with a federal jury finding him liable for battery and defamation. In all cases, Trump has maintained his innocence.
The latest indictment levels four federal criminal allegations against Trump:
- Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (18 U.S.C. § 371): This charge alleges that Trump knowingly conspired to impair and obstruct the lawful federal government function of collecting, counting, and certifying the presidential election results. The importance of this charge lies in its assertion that Trump intentionally sought to disrupt the constitutional order of democratic processes, a bedrock of American governance.
- Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding (18 U.S.C. § 1512(k)): This count accuses Trump of conspiring to obstruct the certification of the electoral vote, an essential proceeding that legitimizes the election outcome. This charge underlines the alleged effort to disrupt the official process that ensures a peaceful transition of power.
- Obstruction of, and Attempt to Obstruct, an Official Proceeding (18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(c)(2), 2): Similar to the second count, this charge involves the attempted obstruction of the certification of the electoral vote, reinforcing the seriousness of disrupting an official democratic process.
- Conspiracy Against Rights (18 U.S.C. § 241): This count alleges that Trump conspired to threaten and intimidate citizens in the exercise of their right to vote and have their votes counted, a right protected by the U.S. Constitution and laws. This count highlights the importance of every citizen’s voting rights in a democratic society and how allegedly threatening these rights can undermine democracy itself.
To date, over 1,000 people have been charged in the Capitol riot investigation and is now the biggest criminal investigation in US History. This list now includes Donald Trump.
