How Trump's 2020 election indictment compares to scathing Jan. 6 report - USA Trending Blog
How Trump's 2020 election indictment compares to scathing Jan. 6 report - USA Trending Blog
The details from former President Donald Trump's third indictment on charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election may ring a bell − they parallel those unearthed by a special congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
The final report from House lawmakers who served on the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol uncovered details that were included in the federal grand jury's indictment of the former president on Tuesday. Trump faces four felony counts accusing him of organizing a conspiracy to steal the 2020 election from President Joe Biden, which led to the insurrection at the Capitol building.
Trump, now facing his third criminal indictment this year, denied wrongdoing and denounced the charges as an attempt to derail his 2024 presidential candidacy.
The House committee, which was comprised of nine members before it disbanded at the end of last year, issued countless subpoenas to close allies of the former president and held a series of hearings over the course of an 18-month investigation.
Their inquiry documented Trump at the center of an effort to overturn the 2020 election and assemble a mob he's accused of sending to Congress to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power.
The committee's final report made 17 findings about the Capitol attack.
"Today’s charges are consistent with those the select committee referred to the special counsel last year," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chaired the committee, said of the indictment in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. "Successful prosecutions will not only bring accountability but also help prevent something like January 6th from ever happening again."
Here's how the indictment compares to the findings from the Jan. 6 committee:
Jan. 6 report, indictment target Trump's plan to overturn election
Both the committee's final report and federal grand jury's indictment detail how Trump intentionally disseminated false allegations of election fraud to the public. Specifically on Jan. 6, 2021, the former president provoked his supporters who attended his speech on the National Mall to march to the Capitol, according to the indictment and the committee's report.
Findings also centered around how Trump pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to not certify the election results by accepting fraudulent electors, rejecting legitimate electoral votes or sending electoral votes to state legislatures for review.
When Pence repeatedly refused to block the certification, Trump threatened to publicly criticize him and told him: "You're too honest," according to the indictment. One exchange alerted Pence's chief of staff, who was concerned for his safety and alerted his secret service detail.
The Jan. 6 final report and the indictment describe how the former president also pressured members of Congress to reject electors from several states where he claimed there was election fraud including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Other similarities from both documents include:
- Trump's close circle knew election fraud claims were false. Campaign officials and advisors were aware Trump's claims of election fraud were false. One senior campaign advisor wrote in an email that false claims of voter fraud in Georgia were conspiracies "beamed down from the mothership,” according to the indictment.
- Trump pressured state officials. Trump pressured state officials and legislators to change the results of the election in their states.
- Trump pressured Justice Department. Trump attempted to enlist department officials to make false statements about election fraud. After officials said they would not change the outcome of the election, Trump told the acting attorney general: "Just say that the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen," according to the indictment.
- Trump had co-conspirators. The indictment lists six co-conspirators who assisted Trump in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Jan. 6 committee interviewed dozens of Trump's close contacts and also identified co-conspirators who helped him.
Not just one more indictment:A stress test for Trump, the campaign and the country.
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