A U.S. District Judge has made public new evidence in the case against Donald Trump related to the January 6 election interference incident. Special counsel Jack Smith presented a 165-page document that outlines the prosecution’s argument that Trump’s actions were taken in a private capacity, separate from his official role as president.
The unsealed filing reveals that when Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, he allegedly engaged in criminal activities aimed at retaining power. Smith’s team accuses Trump of collaborating with private co-conspirators to implement a series of desperate strategies intended to overturn legitimate election results in seven states.
The document asserts that Trump’s actions contributed to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. It characterizes the alleged conspiracy as an effort to disenfranchise millions of voters. The special counsel highlights that Trump’s scheme operated as a private criminal endeavor and involved deceitful tactics throughout the electoral process.
Among the new details disclosed, the filing includes testimony from witnesses and notes from former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as an account of Trump’s activities during the Capitol riot. It describes how Trump was engaged in reviewing Twitter and watching Fox News while the chaos unfolded outside, showing indifference to Pence’s safety amidst the violence.
The filing also touches upon Trump’s communication with former aide Steve Bannon, including a phone call made a day before the riot, during which Bannon suggested that “all hell” would break loose the following day.
The court had previously determined that the evidence should be released despite concerns about its potential effects on the upcoming presidential election, where Trump is the Republican nominee. In response to the unsealing of the document, Trump claimed on social media that the Democrats are manipulating the justice system against him, labeling the situation as prosecutorial misconduct occurring just ahead of the election.