Trump legal woes heat up with Jan. 6 indictment
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Former President Trump was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury convened by special counsel Jack Smith on four counts over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Why it matters: Trump, who has now been indicted three times since launching his 2024 campaign, has been the consistent frontrunner in the crowded GOP primary despite numerous legal woes.
Driving the news: In the latest indictment, Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
- The indictment also alleges that six unidentified co-conspirators helped Trump carry out his plans to overturn the 2020 election.
- Prosecutors had been investigating Trump's efforts to undermine President Biden's 2020 election victory, and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
State of play: Trump was last indicted in June in the federal criminal investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
- He has pleaded not guilty to 37 felony counts in the classified documents case.
- New documents charges added in the revised indictment last week, bringing that case to 40 counts.
A grand jury in Manhattan indicted Trump in March as part of the years-long investigation into his role in hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016.
- Trump was arrested and arraigned, and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan criminal court.
Trump faces a separate inquiry related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is nearing a decision on Trump's alleged efforts to subvert results in the state.
- Trump last month sought to block Willis from prosecuting him in the case, a move that was unanimously rejected by the Georgia Supreme Court.
In another case in New York, Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit in September accusing Trump and his family of financial fraud. James' office said Tuesday the case "is ready for trial."
- James alleged the former president "falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars."
- If he loses at trial, Trump could face steep fines and restrictions on his ability to do business in New York.
Go deeper: Trump's shifting public defenses in classified documents case
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments.
