Trump faces new 2020 election interference charges

BBC | US prosecutors have issued new charges against former President Donald Trump for his alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 election after he lost to Joe Biden.

They are in response to a US Supreme Court ruling last month that said presidents enjoy broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts while in office.

The revised indictment lays out the same four criminal counts against Trump, but they now relate to his status as a political candidate rather than a sitting president.

Trump has denied the election interference allegations, though he has maintained his claim – without evidence – that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The new indictment, brought by Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith, leaves in place the four crimes Trump is accused of committing: Conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, attempting to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

Trump has previously pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The former president’s personal lawyer – Todd Blanche – referred the BBC to the Trump campaign, which did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the new indictment was “an effort to resurrect a ‘dead’ Witch Hunt” and “distract the American People” from the election.

He called for it to be “dismissed IMMEDIATELY”.

A source close to Trump’s legal team told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that the new indictment “was not a surprise”.