Despite having charged former President Donald Trump with four criminal counts related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and over three dozen other charges concerning the hoarding of classified documents in Florida, Special Counsel Jack Smith is far from finished with Trump and his associates.
The ongoing clash between the determined prosecutor and the world’s most famous defendant escalated further on Tuesday, revealing new details about Smith’s expanding investigation into election interference. Smith is now scrutinizing how funds raised through baseless claims of voter fraud were used to support efforts to tamper with voting equipment in several states won by President Joe Biden, according to an exclusive CNN report.
On the same day, Smith issued a rebuke to the former president in a fresh court filing, accusing him of making daily statements that could prejudice the jury pool in Washington. This latest development highlights the growing tension between Smith’s team and Trump’s camp as they approach a trial scheduled for the day before Super Tuesday in March. This situation underscores the highly unusual nature of a pending trial involving a former president who is running to reclaim the White House, raising questions about how Trump, due to his position, may get away with statements that a regular defendant would not.
Smith’s investigation is not the only one delving into the aftermath of the 2020 election. In Fulton County, Georgia, a series of legal developments involving Trump and 18 co-defendants is unfolding, reflecting the broad legal exposure faced by the former president. A judge is set to conduct the first televised hearing in the case to determine whether the racketeering charges will be split into smaller trials and how soon Trump could face trial.
In Georgia, the epicenter of Trump’s election interference efforts, former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is awaiting a decision on whether his attempt to move his trial into the federal court system, where he hopes to have the charges dismissed, will succeed. This move may foreshadow a similar effort by the ex-president, potentially complicating District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution.
Meanwhile, on a day when former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio received the longest jail term of any defendant related to the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress, the legal landscape in Georgia continues to evolve. The sentences handed down to several Proud Boys members indicate that the consequences of engaging in political violence after the 2020 election are increasing. However, despite Trump’s mounting legal problems, it remains uncertain whether the ex-president responsible for the most significant attack on a U.S. democratic election will face severe consequences.
Many legal experts have reached the consensus that Smith’s decision to exclusively charge Trump in the federal election interference case was aimed at avoiding the protracted legal disputes typically associated with cases involving multiple defendants, which are currently unfolding in Georgia. These disputes could potentially lead to some defendants opting for individual trials or causing significant delays in the case’s progression through the court system.
However, according to multiple reports, it appears that the investigation into election interference is far from over. The special counsel’s team is now directing their inquiries towards the involvement of Trump’s former attorney, Sidney Powell.
Powell has previously entered a plea of not guilty to criminal charges in Georgia and has also been identified as one of Trump’s unindicted co-conspirators listed in Smith’s federal election indictment. It remains unclear how this newly revealed aspect of the investigation fits into the broader probe, as Smith’s office has declined to provide any comments on the matter.
The continuation of Smith’s prosecutors’ work in this case may raise concerns within Trump’s inner circle. This is not unprecedented, as there is a history of the special counsel pursuing additional charges even after initial indictments. For instance, in July, Smith filed three additional charges against Trump related to the alleged willful retention of national defense information and obstruction in the documents case. Furthermore, new charges were also brought against Trump aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago maintenance manager Carlos De Oliveira.
