President-elect Donald Trump faced potential conviction for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, as revealed in a Department of Justice report submitted to Congress. The report, authored by Special Counsel Jack Smith, stated that “the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”
This 137-page report was released following Judge Aileen Cannon’s authorization for the publication of the first segment of Smith’s findings related to the election interference investigation. A hearing is scheduled later this week to discuss the potential release of the second segment concerning allegations that Trump unlawfully retained classified government documents.
Trump is set to officially assume office on January 20. Notably, Jack Smith recently stepped down from his role after being appointed in 2022 to lead the investigations by the U.S. Justice Department into Trump’s actions. Special counsels are appointed in situations where there may be a conflict of interest.
Trump is facing accusations of unlawfully retaining government documents, including some found at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Additionally, he was charged with conspiracy aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 election. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, claims the prosecutions are politically driven.
Smith concluded the investigations after Trump’s election, adhering to Justice Department guidelines that prevent the prosecution of a sitting president. The report underscores that the Justice Department believes the Constitution prohibits the indictment and prosecution of a sitting president, a stance that is independent of the severity of the alleged crimes or the strength of the evidence.
The legal proceedings surrounding these cases have continued to evolve. Recently, Judge Cannon imposed a temporary halt on the full release of Smith’s report due to concerns that the information might influence the trials of two of Trump’s associates implicated in the classified documents case. Walt Nauta, Trump’s personal aide, and Carlos De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago property manager, are accused of assisting Trump in concealing these documents. Their cases remain active, with their legal teams expressing concerns that the release of the report could bias future jury deliberations.
