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5 key details in special counsel Jack Smith’s Trump election case filing

5 key details in special counsel Jack Smith’s Trump election case filing

A federal judge on Wednesday unsealed a key filing from special counsel Jack Smith’s updated election interference case against former President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Tanya Chutkan unsealed Smith’s 165-page filing, in which Smith argues that Trump is not immune from prosecution for his alleged criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith submitted the document after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year ruled that a president is immune from prosecution for official acts.  “Although the defendant was the incumbent President during the charged conspiracies, his scheme was fundamentally a private one,” Smith wrote. “Working with a team of private co-conspirators, the defendant acted as a candidate when he pursued multiple criminal means to disrupt, through fraud and deceit, the government function by which votes are collected and counted — a function in which the defendant, as President, had no official role.”  The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States held that Smith could not prosecute Trump for the president’s alleged use of the Justice Department to look into unproven claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. In response, Smith filed an updated indictment that revised the allegations against Trump to fit within the scope of the Supreme Court’s decision.  JUDGE UNSEALS KEY FILING IN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ELECTION CASE AGAINST TRUMP In the unsealed filing, Smith told the court that Trump is not immune from the remaining allegations against him and laid out his case for why Trump “must stand trial for his private crimes.”  Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him by Smith. Here are five key details from the special counsel’s new filing, which is partially redacted:  In the filing unsealed Wednesday, Smith outlined a “factual proffer,” alleging Trump “resorted to crimes to try to stay in office” after losing the 2020 presidential election. “With private co-conspirators, the defendant launched a series of increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he had lost—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin,” Smith wrote.  “His efforts included lying to state officials in order to induce them to ignore true vote counts; manufacturing fraudulent electoral votes in the targeted states; attempting to enlist Vice President Michael R. Pence, in his role as President of the Senate, to obstruct Congress’s certification of the election by using the defendant’s fraudulent electoral votes; and when all else had failed, on January 6, 2021, directing an angry crowd of supporters to the United States Capitol to obstruct the congressional certification.”  PROSECUTORS REQUEST INDEFINITE DELAY IN TRIAL FOR TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH Smith claims that the “throughline of these efforts was deceit,” alleging Trump and co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to interfere with the federal government function by which the nation collects and counts election results, which is set forth in the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act (ECA); a conspiracy to obstruct the official proceeding in which Congress certifies the legitimate results of the presidential election; and a conspiracy against the rights of millions of Americans to vote and have their votes counted.”  Smith claims that several people close to Trump had told the former president his claims of election fraud were “bulls—.”  According to Smith, in one conversation, an unnamed Trump attorney had told Trump that the campaign was “looking into his fraud claims and had even hired external experts to do so, but could find no support for them.”  “He told the defendant that if the Campaign took these claims to court, they would get slaughtered because the claims are all ‘bulls—,’” the filing states, with Smith claiming that a lawyer discussed with Trump the investigations and “debunkings on all major claims.”  For example, the attorney allegedly told Trump that Georgia’s audit disproved claims that votes had been altered.  TRUMP BLASTS DOJ FOR ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE,’ CALLS JACK SMITH CASE A ‘SCAM’ AFTER JUDGE UNSEALS KEY FILING Smith also claims a senior campaign adviser who spoke with Trump on a “daily basis” and had “informed him on multiple occasions that various fraud claims were false” had complained that Trump was losing his election lawsuits because his lawyers could not back up false claims about the election. “When our research and campaign legal team can’t back up any of the claims made by our Elite Strike Force Legal Team, you can see why we’re 0-32 on our cases,” the campaign adviser allegedly wrote. “I’ll obviously hustle to help on all fronts, but it’s tough to own any of this when it’s all just conspiracy s— beamed down from the mothership.”   The filing details several alleged interactions between Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence in the days following the election. Smith details a Nov. 7, 2020, call between Pence and Trump in which Pence allegedly “tried to encourage” Trump “as a friend” by reminding him that he “took a dying political party and gave it a new lease on life.”  Smith also details a private lunch between Trump and Pence on Nov. 12, 2020, when Pence allegedly gave Trump a “face-saving option.” That option, according to the filing, was “don’t concede but recognize the process is over.”  In another private lunch between Trump and Pence on Nov. 16, 2020, Pence allegedly tried to encourage Trump to accept the results of the election and run again in 2024. Trump is alleged to have responded, “I don’t know, 2024 is so far off.”  TRUMP TRIAL STEMMING FROM JACK SMITH’S PROBE DELAYED PAST ELECTION DAY In yet another private lunch on Dec. 21, Pence allegedly “encouraged” Trump “not to look at the election ‘as a loss – just an intermission.’” Later that day in the Oval Office, Trump allegedly asked Pence for advice on what he should do. According to Smith, Pence said, “after we have exhausted every legal process in the courts and Congress, if we still came up short, Trump should ‘take a bow.’”  Additionally, Smith reveals that Trump allegedly showed

Virginia Senate debate: Clinton ex-running mate Kaine, GOP challenger Cao spar on immigration, DEI in military

Virginia Senate debate: Clinton ex-running mate Kaine, GOP challenger Cao spar on immigration, DEI in military

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican challenger Hung Cao clashed on the debate stage Wednesday night on a range of issues including immigration, education and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the military.  Kaine, who previously served as governor of Virginia and was Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential running mate in 2016, made his case during the hourlong showdown at Norfolk State University on why he should keep his seat in the upper chamber of Congress. The only debate of the campaign focused on national issues and matters that resonate in Virginia and the coastal city of Norfolk, which is home to the country’s largest Navy base. Cao, a 25-year Navy veteran endorsed by former President Donald Trump, criticized COVID vaccine mandates for service members and the Biden-Harris administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal when asked about the military’s collective failure to recently meet recruiting goals. He also criticized DEI efforts. “When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want,” Cao said. “What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.” VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD TO PAY ‘WRONGFULLY FIRED’ TEACHER WHO REFUSED TO USE STUDENT’S PREFERRED PRONOUNS Kaine, who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee, responded by saying that railing at DEI “is a red herring” and the real challenge is informing more Americans about the benefits of the military when only about 1% of the population serves in the armed forces. “We need to do a better job of talking about the G.I. Bill and other benefits as well as the tremendous leadership training that you get in the military,” Kaine said. Cao, meanwhile, brought up the G.I. Bill when challenging Kaine on student loan forgiveness. The incumbent Democrat had praised the Biden administration for having forgiven “the loans of more than a million public servants in thanks for the public service they provide, whether it’s in the military, whether it’s teaching, whether it’s working as a frontline health professional or working for a local or state government.”  The moderator then posed a question to Cao on how the Republican candidate would ease the burden, noting that the U.S. Department of Education reports more than a million Virginians owe a collective $43 billion in federal student debt as of last October, impacting their ability to contribute to the state’s economy. “If you’re struggling to pay for your school, then get a G.I. Bill,” Cao said. “That means go out and serve in the military. You’ll get a stipend as well as tuition. We need to fix education, and we need to do it now. But here’s the thing with people like Senator Kaine, you’ve been an officer for 30 years in various offices, in the U.S. Senate for 12. Why have you not fixed it yet?”  VIRGINIA FAA CONTRACTOR ALLEGEDLY SPIED FOR IRAN, SHARED PRIVATE INFO ON US AIRPORTS, ENERGY INDUSTRY: DOJ Kaine responded by saying Virginia “was named the best state for a child to be raised in the United States” and “the best managed state and the best state to do business” when he was governor from 2006 to 2010.  “Oh, again, he says what he’s going to do,” Cao shot back. “Honestly, of the 227 bills that Senator Kaine has proposed, only three of them made it through… That’s a 99% failure rate.”  “Check the tape on that. That’s completely wrong,” Kaine insisted.  However, Cao retorted, “There’s two truths in the world, okay? Never walk into a target store wearing a red shirt and never go against an Asian when it comes to math. Trust me.”  “He’s got a 99% failure rate,” Cao added. “If I just had 99% failure rate, and I defused bombs, I wouldn’t be here right now.”  The moderator also pressed Cao, whose family fled Vietnam during the 1970s, on whether he supports the mass deportation of “all undocumented immigrants.”  “When Vietnam fell, we had nowhere to go, and America had brought us in and my parents waited in line for seven years. We all did for seven years to get our citizenship. The last thing that my dad had [hung] over his bed when he passed away two years ago was his naturalization certificate. I love this country so much that I wrote a blank check – up to including my life – to defend it for 25 years in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and other parts of the world,” Cao said. “Here’s my thing to anybody who wants to come here, don’t ask for an American dream. If you’re not willing to be American laws and embrace the American culture, because I did.”  “If you come here illegally, then you need to leave, especially if you’re a violent crime person,” Cao said, citing new Immigration and Customs Enforcement data provided to lawmakers last week.  “There are 13,000 convicted murderers and 16,000 convicted rapists that came across under their watch. That’s unacceptable. We need to protect Americans every single day,” Cao said.  “If you came here illegally, you’ve basically screwed up the whole system,” Cao said. “You can’t jump the line – I mean, you go to Costco and jump the line, what do you think is going to happen? You can’t come here and expect the American dream if you’re not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture.” “Deport anybody that’s committing crimes right now,” he added. “That’s the first thing we need. Secure the border.”  Kaine said he never supported mass amnesty but believes it would “devastate the economy” to deport the 10 million illegal immigrants who crossed the border during the Biden-Harris administration – a figure the moderator cited and the Democratic candidate echoed. He also slammed former President Donald Trump for asking Republicans to oppose the last congressional border deal.  “We recently negotiated a very tough border deal

Wisconsin poll shows Harris leading Trump by 4, former president ahead on key issues

Wisconsin poll shows Harris leading Trump by 4, former president ahead on key issues

Vice President Kamala Harris is maintaining her lead over former President Trump in Wisconsin despite Trump leading on the key issues, according to a Wednesday poll. The new poll from Marquette Law School finds Harris leading Trump in a 52%-48% match-up. The poll also found that voters are deeply invested in the election, with 46% of respondents saying they have stopped talking to someone about politics due to the presidential race. Marquette conducted the survey from Sept. 18-26, polling 882 Wisconsin registered voters and 798 likely voters. The poll advertises a margin of error of 4.4%. Despite trailing in the polls, Trump leads Harris in the top issues in the race, including border security, the economy, and handling the Israel-Hamas war. YOUNG SWING STATE VOTERS DELIVER ADVICE FOR KAMALA HARRIS Trump enjoys a sizable 49-37% lead over Harris on immigration. Meanwhile, 50% of Wisconsinites say he will handle the economy better than Harris, with the vice president getting just 42% support. Trump also enjoys a 45%-33% lead when it comes to Israel’s conflict in the Middle East. He also has a narrow lead over Harris when it comes to foreign relations more generally. FOX NEWS POLL: HARRIS, TRUMP LOCKED IN TIGHT RACE IN BATTLEGROUND PENNSYLVANIA Harris does have a lead over Trump in a number of other issues, however, namely abortion and election concerns. Roughly 53% of respondents said they trusted Harris to handle the former, compared to 36% for Trump. Another 49% said Harris would be better for ensuring a fair and accurate election, compared to Trump’s 39%. Wisconsin is among a handful of swing states that are likely to determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Other states like Ohio and Pennsylvania are also critical to either a Trump or Harris victory. Pennsylvania in particular is one of the tightest contests in the nation, where Harris leads Trump in a razor-thin 49%-47% match-up, according to new data from AARP.  The AARP survey spoke with 1,398 likely voters in Pennsylvania and has an overall margin of error of four percentage points. 

Video: Israel bombs Lebanon escape route after issuing evacuation orders

Video: Israel bombs Lebanon escape route after issuing evacuation orders

NewsFeed Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reports on how Israel has repeatedly attacked a main escape route for people in south Lebanon after issuing evacuation orders for dozens of towns and villages, forcibly displacing those who had not already left due to attacks against Hezbollah. Published On 3 Oct 20243 Oct 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

The maps that help explain the Israel-Hezbollah conflict

The maps that help explain the Israel-Hezbollah conflict

NewsFeed Israel is once again fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, nearly two decades after a UN resolution that was meant to bring peace to the area. Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi looks at some of the history that’s shaping the conflict today. Published On 3 Oct 20243 Oct 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

UK agrees to give sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius

UK agrees to give sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius

BREAKINGBREAKING, The deal includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, which is used by the United States as a military base. The United Kingdom says it is giving up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in a deal that ends decades of negotiations over the remote but strategically important Indian Ocean archipelago. The announcement over one of the last British overseas territories, made in a joint statement by the British and Mauritian Prime Ministers on Thursday, includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, which is used by the United States as a military base for naval ships and long-range bomber aircraft. More to come… Adblock test (Why?)