New indictment filed against Trump in Jan. 6 case
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former President Trump during a campaign rally on Aug. 23 in Glendale, Ariz. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment on Tuesday against former President Trump in his federal Jan. 6 case.
Why it matters: The slimmed-down indictment comes after the conservative-majority Supreme Court largely sided with Trump when it ruled in July that presidents have immunity for "official acts."
- It "reflects the Government's efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court's holdings and remand instructions," per the special counsel's office.
- The new indictment "was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in this case."
The big picture: Trump was charged last August 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 charges remain the same in the superseding indictment, but the document is pared down from the original to account for the Supreme Court ruling.
- Trump, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, has denied wrongdoing.
- The bombshell Supreme Court decision earlier this year sent his federal Jan. 6 case, one of four criminal cases lobbed against the former president, back to a trial court to work through the decision.
Zoom in: The new indictment removes allegations relating to Trump's efforts to compel the Justice Department, particularly Jeffrey Clark, to back false claims that the election had been stolen.
- The changes are an apparent effort to comply with the Supreme Court ruling, which said that Trump could not be prosecuted over interactions with Justice Department officials.
- Trump called the indictment brought against him "ridiculous" in a Truth Social post and said it "should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY."
Read the superseding indictment below:
Go deeper: Supreme Court punts on Trump immunity, taking thorny topic off debate table
Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout to add additional context, information and a Trump statement.
