USA: US prosecutor obtains new indictment against Trump on election allegations

Handelsblatt USA: US prosecutor obtains new indictment against Trump on election allegations Article by , Reuters • 23 hours • 2 minutes reading time Trump achieves partial success in court Special investigator Jack Smith has adjusted his approach in the new indictment. The background is the recent decision of the Supreme Court on the immunity of US presidents. The US prosecutor has obtained a new indictment in the trial against presidential candidate Donald Trump in connection with alleged attempted election fraud. In it, special investigator Jack Smith is adjusting his approach against the Republican following a controversial ruling by the Supreme Court that grants presidents partial immunity from criminal prosecution. The four individual charges remain fundamentally the same. However, the focus is now on Trump's actions as a candidate before the 2020 election rather than during his time as president. There was initially no statement from Trump on Tuesday. The revised indictment was the result of a newly assembled grand jury, said a spokesman for the Justice Department. Jurors decide whether the evidence presented by the prosecution justifies an indictment. The allegation that Trump, as president, put pressure on the Justice Department in connection with attempts to overturn the election result was completely deleted from the new document. In its ruling on this point, the Supreme Court had expressly stated that the president enjoys absolute immunity in this regard. The allegations against Trump are related to the storming of the Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021. He has repeatedly denied them. The original indictment was filed in August 2023, and the main hearing was scheduled to begin on March 4. However, Trump appealed to the Supreme Court on February 12. US Attorney's Office obtains new indictment against Trump on election allegations The decision was made on July 1. Since this is a federal case, Trump could have it dropped through the Justice Department if he wins the election on November 5. Experts say he could pardon himself if he is found guilty. The election is expected to be a close contest between Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.