Prosecutors File to Drop 2020 Presidential Election Interference Charges against Trump

A motion has been filed to dismiss the charges against Donald Trump related to efforts to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election results.

Mr. Trump was initially indicted in August 2023 on four felony counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

The case had been on hold for months as Mr. Trump’s legal team argued he could not be prosecuted.

On Monday, Special Counsel Jack Smith, who led the investigation, formally requested a federal judge to dismiss the case, citing a long-standing U.S. Department of Justice policy that presidents cannot be prosecuted while in office.

This marks the conclusion of the Justice Department’s landmark effort to hold Mr. Trump accountable for the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Prosecutors argued in court filings that the U.S. Constitution mandates the case be dismissed before Mr. Trump’s inauguration, emphasizing that the prohibition against prosecuting a sitting president is absolute, regardless of the severity of the alleged crimes or the strength of the evidence.

Mr. Trump, who has consistently dismissed the election interference case and a separate classified documents case as politically driven, recently defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the presidential election. He has also stated his intention to dismiss Mr. Smith upon taking office in January.

The case effectively lost momentum after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in July granted former presidents broad immunity from prosecution. With Mr. Trump reclaiming the presidency earlier this month, the prospects for pursuing the case have been eliminated.
Source: Sky news 
Image: BBC