Former President Donald Trump was charged on Tuesday by the Justice Department for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The indictment, the third criminal case against Trump, focuses on actions taken between the November 2020 election and the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. During that turbulent period, Trump urged local election officials to alter voting results, pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to halt the certification of electoral votes, and repeatedly claimed the election was stolen, despite judges rejecting the notion.
This case is part of a long-running federal investigation into schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the peaceful transfer of power after his decisive loss to Joe Biden.
The latest indictment was anticipated since Trump was informed he was a target of the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 investigation in mid-July. A bipartisan House committee also recommended prosecuting Trump on charges including aiding an insurrection and obstructing an official proceeding. In addition to this federal case, Trump faces criminal charges in New York and Florida and multiple civil cases, all unfolding amid the 2024 presidential race.
These mounting legal challenges have not deterred Trump’s political aspirations, and he continues to raise campaign funds by claiming, without evidence, that the cases are driven by Democratic prosecutors aiming to thwart his 2024 campaign.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].