“Donald Trump tried to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and keep control of the government despite losing an election,” said one ethics expert. “There may be no more serious offense in a republic.”
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed in a lengthy statement on social media that Special Counsel Jack Smith notified him that he is a target in an ongoing investigation into the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Noah Bookbinder, president and CEO of the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), celebrated the news and called out Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election with his “Big Lie” that it was stolen from him.
“Donald Trump tried to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and keep control of the government despite losing an election,” said Bookbinder. “There may be no more serious offense in a republic. After a thorough and professional investigation, justice may finally be coming.”
The Hill reported Tuesday that the letter “comes as no surprise” for members of the former U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol—including Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who said, “It would not surprise me in the least if Donald Trump were a target of criminal investigation based on everything that he did and everything that the whole world knows he did.”
Meanwhile, Trump on Tuesday took aim at Democratic President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), including Attorney General Merrick Garland, who last year appointed Smith to take over the January 6 and classified documents probes after Trump confirmed he is seeking the GOP’s presidential nomination for 2024.
“Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment,” said Trump, who was indicted last month in the classified documents case.
That indictment came after Trump was charged by the Manhattan district attorney in April in a case stemming from alleged hush money payments during the 2016 election.
“So now, Joe Biden’s Attorney General, Merrick Garland, who I turned down for the United States Supreme Court (in retrospect, based on his corrupt and unethical actions, a very wise decision!), together with Joe Biden’s Department of Injustice, have effectively issued a third Indictment and Arrest of Joe Biden’s NUMBER ONE POLITICAL OPPONENT,” Trump said Tuesday.
Despite the two official indictments, the twice-impeached former president is leading in the polls for the Republican primary.
Some constitutional experts and advocacy groups argue that under the 14 Amendment to the Constitution, Trump is disqualified from holding office again because he incited an insurrection. CREW on Tuesday released a report detailing the “overwhelming evidence that Trump not only engaged in the January 6th insurrection, but was its central cause.”
The developments on Tuesday followed the predominantly Republican-appointed Georgia Supreme Court on Monday unanimously rejecting a bid by Trump to quash Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ probe into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Willis has signaled that charges in that case could come in early August.
This post has been updated with comment from Rep. Jamie Raskin.
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