Watch above as we discuss the evidence and testimony being levied against Trump, which includes insight into his state of mind in the days leading up to the Jan 6 insurrection. Zev explores the potential for indictments of Trump’s top lieutenants and MAGA congressmen. He’s joined for this riveting conversation by Meagann Cuniff. Read Meagann’s substack at https://www.legalaffairsandtrials.com.
Evidence Suggests Charges Imminent
Special counsel Jack Smith may be preparing to charge Donald Trump with seditious conspiracy charges for the Jan 6 coup attempt. Smith has not made a final decision, but much of the publicly available evidence suggests this is no longer a matter of if but of when. Here’s Trump’s former attorney general, Bill Barr on Face The Nation:
20 YEARS IN PRISON
The indictment of any former U.S. President gets your attention – his indictment for espionage and now possibly sedition would raise important questions about any actual prison time.
Legal analysts and sources close to the investigation have suggested Smith is preparing to charge Trump with seditious conspiracy, which could carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The charge is believed to be based not only on evidence that Trump played an active role in inciting the violence that took place that day but on a vast body of evidence that links him to months of plotting to overturn the valid result of the 2020 election.
Months of Plotting and Key Witnesses
Testimony from key witnesses, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows – who is believed to be a cooperating witness – and Steve Bannon, is believed to form the cornerstone of the special counsel’s case.
As with the espionage case in Mar-a-Lago, much of the evidence being leveled against Trump comes from Trump loyalists like Barr, who has been critical in building the case against Trump. They have provided insights into Trump’s state of mind in the days leading up to January 6th and have suggested that he was fully aware of the potential for violence.
Implications for Trump’s Top Lieutenants
But indicting Trump is only the beginning. Smith may also implicate some of Trump’s top lieutenants, including Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Mike Flynn, Jack Eastman, Sidney Powell, and potentially former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.
But it’s perhaps Capitol Hill where the most shocking indictments may land. Where the fates of Paul Gosar and Lauren Boebert loom large, seditious conspiracy charges against these individuals could also be on the horizon.
If indicted, Trump would be one of the most high-profile individuals to face charges in connection with the January 6th attack; the seditious conspiracy charge would suggest that the former President was actively seeking to overthrow the government.
Whatever the outcome of the investigation, one thing is clear: Attorney General Merrick Garland and Special Counsel Jack Smith have come through on their commitment to investigate and charge anyone involved in Jan 6.