Trump shares threatening fan-made video
Donald Trump could be indicted by a grand jury investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot by Friday.
The Independent learned that a possible indictment could be handed down as soon as this week, charging the former president in his third criminal case.
Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him that he is the “target” of a grand jury investigation.
The target letter cites three statutes under which he could be charged including conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant, multiple outlets reported.
William Russell, a former White House aide who now works for the Trump presidential campaign and spent much of January 6 with the then-president, is believed to have testified before the grand jury on Thursday.
The former president was given until today to report to the Washington, DC, federal courthouse but with a midnight deadline is not expected to appear.
Instead, he shared a fan video on Truth Social with a threatening mob boss feel using audio featuring an expletive and lifted from comments he made in 2020 on Iran.
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Trump is the first former president arrested on federal charges. Can he still run in 2024?
Donald Trump is now the subject of two criminal cases after being arrested over a state case in New York and a federal case in Miami – at a time when he is hot on the trail for another stint in the White House.
With a third looming, can he still run for office?
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 07:45
Jan 6 rioter who stormed Capitol with loaded pistol is sentenced to 7 years in prison
A military veteran who stormed the U.S. Capitol with a loaded pistol, metal-plated body armor and a gas mask was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison, one of the longest among hundreds of Jan. 6 riot cases.
Christopher Michael Alberts isn’t accused of brandishing his concealed gun during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. But he used a wooden pallet as a makeshift battering ram against police officers who were guarding a stairwell outside the Capitol, according to federal prosecutors.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 06:45
Trump probe ‘subpoenaed CCTV from Georgia 2020 ballot counting centre’
The Department of Justice used a grand jury subpoena to obtain CCTV security footage from the Atlanta, Georgia, arena where ballots were counted following the 2020 election, indicating that federal prosecutors are examining some of the same matters as the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney who may soon bring charges against former president Donald Trump and others in his orbit.
Andrew Feinberg has the details.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 05:45
E Jean Carroll tells Trump to pay up
In a decision released on Wednesday, Judge Lewis Kaplan said the jury did not reach a “seriously erroneous result” when it found the former president liable for sexual assault and defamation and ordered him to pay $5m.
Bevan Hurley has been following the case.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 04:45
Giuliani denies claims he flipped on Trump
This comes on the heels of the former president’s announcement that he is readying himself for an indictment related to the Jan 6 riots and the revelation of three federal statutes, including conspiracy and obstruction, that could form the basis of fresh charges against him.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 03:45
Report: Trump ‘faces Jan 6 charges of conspiracy, obstruction and civil rights violations’
The letter Donald Trump said he had received from special counsel Jack Smith reportedly listed three federal statutes that could constitute charges against him over the Jan 6 riots.
The three federal statutes mentioned in the letter by Mr Smith, according to several reports, are conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant.
Mr Trump is the sole individual mentioned in the letter and there are no other names mentioned, according to a source with knowledge of the matter cited by Rolling Stone magazine.
Maroosha Muzaffar filed this report.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 02:45
Gaetz launches bill to defund Jack Smith probe
Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida said on his podcast that he will in the coming days introduce a bill to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump as Mr Trump reportedly asks Capitol Hill allies for help as he faces another potential indictment.
Abe Asher has the details.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 01:45
16 Trump-backing fake electors charged in scheme to overturn 2020 election
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced criminal charges against 16 people who signed certificates falsely declaring that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, part of a nationwide scheme to upend the results in states that the former president lost to Joe Biden.
Oliver O’Connell21 July 2023 00:45
Punishing trans students and rewriting the history of slavery: Meet Florida’s new school guidelines
Outrage over Florida’s new guidelines for schools that allow for the punishment of trans students and teach that slavery ‘developed skills’ for Black people that could be “applied for personal benefit”.
Oliver O’Connell20 July 2023 22:45
‘I fight no longer’: Right-wing Georgia radio host says he’s finally had enough of Marjorie Taylor Greene
A Georgia-based political commentator said he’s done backing Georgia Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggesting she has lost support in her own district.
“We have worked so hard for this individual,” said Brian K Pritchard, host of #BKPPolitics on Voice of Rural America. “When there was an attempt to keep this individual off the ballot from running, we fought against the media. We fought against Brad Raffensperger,” Georgia’s secretary of state, he added.
The host also said he stuck by her side when she touted conspiracy theories. “Every time the media wanted to say ‘QAnon’ or ‘Jewish space lasers,’ we pushed back. We fought for this individual,” he said. “But I fight no longer.”
Everyone has their limit, as Kelly Rissman reports.
Oliver O’Connell20 July 2023 22:15
