Trump’s Lawyers Meet With Special Counsel as Jan. 6 Charges Loom
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Donald Trump’s lawyers are meeting with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team on Thursday ahead of a potential indictment in the Justice Department’s investigation into the effort to overturn the 2020 election.
The meeting comes as the grand jury hearing evidence in the case has reportedly convened at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., a sign that a vote on whether to indict the former president could be imminent. NBC News reported that Trump’s lawyers were told on Thursday to expect an indictment soon.
Trump claimed otherwise on Truth Social. “My attorneys had a productive meeting with the DOJ this morning, explaining in detail that I did nothing wrong, was advised by many lawyers, and that an Indictment of me would only further destroy our Country,” he wrote. “No indication of notice was given during the meeting — Do not trust the Fake News on anything!”
It does indeed seem like an indictment is on the way, despite Trump’s post. Smith’s office sent Trump a letter last week informing him that he is a target of the investigation, another precursor to a potential indictment. Rolling Stone reported that the letter listed the federal statutes under which Trump is expected to be charged, including conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States; deprivation of rights under color of law; and tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant.
The Justice Department has already indicted Trump once, slapping him with criminal charges last month related to his handling of classified material after leaving the White House. The former president’s lawyers met with Smith’s team days before that indictment was filed in an effort to convince the Justice Department to reconsider. It’s unclear whether his lawyers are meeting with Smith on Thursday for the same purpose.
Trump has alleged that he did nothing wrong and that his legal troubles are part of a vast Democratic conspiracy to keep him from winning the presidency in 2024. He has repeatedly attacked Smith personally, as well as the Justice Department at large, on social media, claiming they are corrupt puppets of the Biden administration. “THE SINGLE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!” the former president wrote Wednesday on Truth Social, along with a 10-second video of him saying repeating the line.
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