Former US President Donald Trump has been accused of “resorting to crimes” in an attempt to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election, according to a newly unsealed court filing. The filing, submitted by special counsel Jack Smith’s team, argues that Trump is not entitled to immunity from prosecution for his actions.
The filing specifically addresses Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results, including trying to persuade former Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to certify the electoral votes on January 6, 2021. Smith’s team contends that these actions were private, rather than official, acts and should be included in the indictment against Trump.
According to the filing, Trump’s scheme was “fundamentally a private one” and involved working with a team of private co-conspirators to disrupt the government’s function of collecting and counting votes. The filing also states that after losing the election, Trump resorted to crimes in an attempt to remain in office.
The filing comes in the midst of legal battles over Trump’s involvement in the events leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot. The prosecution is seeking to include these allegations in the indictment against Trump as the case moves forward. The filing aims to convince US District Judge Tanya Chutkan that Trump’s actions were criminal and should not be protected under presidential immunity. As the case progresses, the arguments presented in this filing are likely to play a crucial role in determining Trump’s legal fate.
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