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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 19 July 2023

Trump is notified he’s a target of the U.S. criminal probe

Continued from Front GOP field. The indictments “But to try to criminalize
also have helped his cam- that, that’s a different issue
Trump disclosed the exist- paign raise millions of dol- entirely.” House speaker
ence of a target letter in a lars from supporters, though Kevin McCarthy, who had
post on his Truth Social plat- he raised less after the sec- previously criticized Trump
form, saying he received it ond than the first, raising for his actions that day,
Sunday night and that he questions about whether accused Democrats of
anticipates being indicted. subsequent charges will trying to “weaponize gov-
Such a letter often pre- have the same impact. ernment to go after their
cedes an indictment and A fundraising committee number one opponent.”
is used to advise individu- backing Trump’s candida- Trump, since leaving office,
als under investigation that cy began soliciting contri- has increasingly down-
prosecutors have gathered butions just hours after he played the events of Jan. 6,
evidence linking them to revealed the new letter, describing the rally he held
a crime; Trump himself re- casting the investigation that day as a “lovefest” and
ceived one soon before Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to reporters Friday, June 9, as “just another vicious act “a beautiful thing.” He has
being charged last month 2023, in Washington. of Election Interference on also embraced defendants
in a separate investigation Associated Press behalf of the Deep State to jailed for their alleged roles
into the illegal retention of try and stop the Silent Ma- in the insurrection, includ-
classified documents. on a broad range of efforts campaign from the then- jority from having a voice in ing promising to pardon a
A spokesman for special by Trump and allies to keep president to overturn elec- your own country.” “large portion” and to issue
counsel Jack Smith, whose him in office, including the tion results in their states. Trump was traveling to an official apology to them
office is leading the inves- role played by lawyers in A lawyer for Giuliani, who Iowa Tuesday, where he if he is reelected.
tigation, declined to com- pressing for the overturning participated in a voluntary was taping a town hall with In June, he spoke at a fun-
ment. Legal experts have of results as well as plans interview, said Tuesday that Fox News host Sean Han- draiser for the defendants
said potential charges for slates of fake electors he did not receive a target nity. and earlier this year col-
could include conspira- in multiple battleground letter. The Trump indictments laborated on a song called
cy to defraud the United states won by Biden to sub- Trump has consistently de- have proven politically “Justice for All,” a version of
States and obstruction of mit false electoral certifi- nied wrongdoing and did challenging for some of the Star-Spangled Banner
an official proceeding, in cates to Congress. so again in his Tuesday Trump’s rivals, who must be sung by a choir of Jan. 6
this case Congress’ certifi- Prosecutors have ques- post, writing, “Under the mindful of his deep support defendants and recorded
cation of President Joe Bi- tioned multiple Trump ad- United States Constitution, I among many of the party’s over a prison phone line
den’s electoral victory. ministration officials before have the right to protest an primary voters. that is overlaid with Trump
Smith’s team has cast a a grand jury in Washing- Election that I am fully con- Asked about the letter dur- reciting the Pledge of Alle-
broad net in its investiga- ton, including former Vice vinced was Rigged and ing a press conference giance.
tion into attempts by Trump President Mike Pence, who Stolen, just as the Demo- in South Carolina, Florida One purpose of a target
and his allies to block the was repeatedly pressured crats have done against Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s letter is to advise a poten-
transfer of power to Biden by Trump to ignore his con- me in 2016, and many oth- most serious challenger, tial defendant that he or
in the days leading up to stitutional duty and block ers have done over the said he hadn’t seen it, but she has a right to appear
the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. the counting in Congress of ages.” delivered his most forceful before the grand jury.
Capitol, when Trump loyal- electoral votes on Jan. 6. Trump remains the Republi- critique to date of Trump’s Trump said in his post that
ists stormed the building in They’ve also interviewed can party’s dominant front- inaction on Jan. 6. he has been given “a very
a bid to disrupt the certifi- other Trump advisers, in- runner, despite indictments “I think it was shown how short 4 days to report to the
cation of state electoral cluding former Trump law- in New York arising from he was in the White House Grand Jury, which almost
votes in Congress. More yer Rudy Giuliani, as well hush money payments dur- and didn’t do anything always means an Arrest
than 1,000 people accused as local election officials ing his 2016 campaign, and while things were going on. and indictment.” Aides did
of participating in the riot in states including Michi- in Florida, which appear to He should have come out not immediately respond
have been charged. gan and New Mexico who have had little impact on more forcefully,” DeSantis to questions seeking further
Smith’s probe has centered were targets of a pressure his standing in the crowded said. However, he added, information.q

Michigan charges 16 fake electors for

Donald Trump with felonies

eral filed felony charges which is a 14-year felony. election,” Nessel said in a
Tuesday against 16 Repub- The group includes Repub- statement.
licans who acted as fake lican National Committee- There was no immediate
electors for then-President woman Kathy Berden and reaction from the White
Donald Trump in 2020, ac- Meshawn Maddock, for- House after the charges
cusing them of submitting mer co-chair of the Michi- were announced.
false certificates confirming gan Republican Party. The group is alleged to
they were legitimate elec- “It would be malfeasance have met on December
tors despite Joe Biden’s vic- of the greatest magnitude 14, 2020, and signed their
A protester waves a Trump flag during rally organized by a tory in the state. if my department failed names to multiple cer-
group called Election Integrity Fund and Force at the Michigan Attorney General Dana to act here in the face of tificates stating they were
State Capitol, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Lansing, Mich. Nessel, a Democrat, an- overwhelming evidence of the qualified electors for
Associated Press nounced Tuesday that all 16 an organized effort to cir- Trump. These false docu-
individuals would get eight cumvent the lawfully cast ments were then transmit-
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI LANSING, Mich. (AP) — criminal charges, includ- ballots of millions of Michi- ted to the U.S. Senate and
Associated Press Michigan’s attorney gen- ing two counts of forgery, gan voters in a presidential National Archives.q