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August 29, 2024 - 10:00am
The recent re-indictment of Donald Trump appears to be a calculated move to expedite legal proceedings against the former president ahead of November’s election. Trump has faced multiple legal challenges, including cases in Georgia and New York, yet none have significantly impacted his campaign. This latest action appears designed to ensure that legal scrutiny remains a dominant narrative as election day approaches.
The new indictment is a response to a Supreme Court ruling from July which holds that Trump has immunity from actions taken in an official capacity, and Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has removed charges related to actions the Republican nominee took while serving as president. Notably, the indictment now identifies Trump as ‘a candidate for President of the United States in 2020’, rather than the 45th president as the old indictment did. Charges related to Trump’s speech to supporters on January 6, 2021, urging them to go home, have been removed.
While the focus is instead on his comments made before the riot, classified as ‘campaign speech’, Trump still faces four significant charges. These are: obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the US, and conspiracy against the right to vote.
The ‘supercharging’ of the case likely reflects a recognition by prosecutors that the window to hold Trump accountable before the election is rapidly closing. Despite numerous legal battles, his political momentum remains strong, and he is still polling within the margin of error against Kamala Harris, who is fresh off the excitement of her announcement as the Democratic candidate at the DNC convention.
Without a swift and decisive legal intervention, these cases might fail to significantly influence Trump’s bid for re-election — which many have contended was their initial purpose. If he wins the presidency again, many of these legal proceedings could become moot due to the complexities of prosecuting a sitting president. This makes the current period crucial for those seeking to hold him accountable before he potentially regains executive power.
Additionally, other significant cases have faced delays, further emphasizing the urgency behind Smith’s recent actions. The hush money case, involving alleged payments to Stormy Daniels, has seen its sentencing postponed. Legal experts suggest that Trump’s potential re-election could halt the proceedings due to presidential immunity claims. Meanwhile, the Georgia election fraud case, which involves accusations of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, is bogged down by procedural delays that could stretch past November’s vote.
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