Agencies
Washington
US special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday filed a revised indictment in the election fraud case against former president Donald Trump.
The indictment keeps the same criminal charges but removes some of the allegations against Trump, following a ruling in July that presidents have presumed immunity from prosecution for official acts while in office.
The reworked case, unfolding in Washington, DC, is one of four indictments against Trump. He is the first US president to face and be convicted of criminal charges.
Trump and several others are accused of trying to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The Republican had lost to Democrat Joe Biden at the time and attempted to change the election result retrospectively by putting pressure on political leaders in the federal government and in states such as Georgia.
Following the indictment, some of Trump’s former associates entered into an agreement with the public prosecutor’s office and pleaded guilty. Trump is aiming to return to the White House with a win in the presidential election in November.
On Monday, Smith appealed a ruling which dismissed the case regarding classified documents retained by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after he left the White House.
The case was dismissed in mid-July after federal judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, cited doubts about the legality of the US Justice Department’s appointment of Smith. Trump pleaded not guilty when the charges were presented in Miami last year.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan is expected to rule in the case, which is unlikely to reach trial before the November election.
A successful appeal in that case could lead to the proceedings being reopened. However, it is considered practically impossible that a trial would take place before the 2024 election.
