Donald Trump arrested: Here are the three federal statutes mentioned in Jack Smith’s target letter
Kaelan Deese
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Special counsel Jack Smith has told former President Donald Trump that he is a target in an investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The so-called target letter was sent to Trump’s legal counsel in recent days and indicated that another indictment for the former president could be forthcoming, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
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The letter also mentioned three federal statutes, including conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under color of law, and tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant, sources familiar with the matter said.
Trump on Tuesday posted to his Truth Social media platform saying he received the target letter Sunday evening. During a town hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that the letter “bothers me.”
“I don’t think they’ve ever sent a letter on Sunday night,” Trump said. “And they’re in a rush because they want to interfere. It’s election interference, never been done like this in the history of our country, and it’s a disgrace what’s happening to our country.”
Such letters are typically sent to subjects in a criminal investigation to give them notice that they are facing an indictment.
In Trump’s federal case over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, Trump’s target letter for that matter was sent on May 19. His indictment came on June 8.
“There are no additional details in the letter and it does not say how the special counsel’s office claims Trump may have violated the statutes listed,” according to the report.
The House Jan. 6 committee referred four criminal charges to the Justice Department after concluding its hearings last year. Those recommendations included conspiracy to defraud the U.S., obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to make a false statement, and aiding an insurrection.
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Trump last month pleaded not guilty to a 37-count indictment that he mishandled classified documents after leaving office, while Walt Nauta, a Trump aide and former White House valet, pleaded not guilty to six felony counts.
The former president is facing 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act, which criminalizes mishandling of national security secrets. He’s been indicted two times thus far this year and may face two more indictments in the Smith Jan. 6 investigation and in Fulton County, Georgia, over 2020 election interference.