Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s attorneys have reportedly been informed to expect an indictment as part of a federal investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to NBC News. The investigation, headed by Special Counsel Jack Smith, is examining Trump’s actions to reverse his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The probe focuses on allegations that Trump pressured officials with false claims of widespread voter fraud. The investigation comes after Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.
Trump revealed on July 18 that he had received a letter from Smith notifying him that he is a target of the investigation. Recently, Trump’s lawyers met with officials from Smith’s office at a building belonging to the Justice Department. Such meetings between defense attorneys and federal prosecutors are not uncommon before an indictment is issued.
If an indictment is filed in this case, it will mark the second set of federal charges against Trump from Smith, who was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in November. Previously, Trump’s lawyers met with Justice Department officials, including Smith, prior to his grand jury indictment in Miami in June. That indictment involved charges of unlawfully retaining classified government documents after leaving office and obstructing justice. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 counts.
The first charges against Trump were filed in March, when a grand jury convened by Manhattan’s district attorney accused him of falsifying business records pertaining to a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. In April, Trump pleaded not guilty to the 34 charges.
Despite these legal challenges, Trump currently leads the field of Republican presidential candidates as he seeks a rematch with Biden in the next election. The former president, aged 77, is vying for the nomination against a crowded field, which includes the incumbent president, 80 years old.
