As we reported, Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social Tuesday that Special Counsel Jack Smith has sent him a “target letter” indicating that more charges are coming against the former president. Trump was enraged that he was given a “very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.”
On Tuesday, a source claimed to know further details of the letter:
The letter mentions three federal statutes: Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States; deprivation of rights under color of law; and tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant. It does not offer further details, nor does it detail how the special counsel believes Trump may have violated the statutes, the source tells Rolling Stone.
The letter does not mention statues [sic] on sedition or insurrection, according to the source. Trump is the only person named in the letter, the source says.
The informant said the letter points to the Special Counsel’s interest in getting Trump on election interference charges:
The source said the statues listed likely refer to the prosecutor’s interest in charging Trump with obstructing the election certification process, including Trump efforts to pressure Mike Pence to stop the certification of President Biden’s 2020 victory.
Trump has been facing an onslaught of investigations and charges in recent months as the Department of Justice and Special Counsel Jack Smith are seemingly on a crusade. The newest letter adds to the former president’s legal woes:
The notification deepens Trump’s legal peril as the 2024 presidential race heats up, with Trump as the front-runner for the Republican nomination. The former president already faces a separate federal prosecution on charges that he mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House, criminal charges in New York and the prospect of an additional indictment by a local prosecutor in Georgia.
Trump himself was enraged, posting early Monday: “THIS WITCH HUNT IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND A COMPLETE AND TOTAL POLITICAL WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT! It is a very sad and dark period for our Nation!”
He had more to say as the day continued:
None of the various charges, probes, investigations et al. are hurting Trump in the polls, however—his numbers have actually risen since the 37-count classified documents indictment dropped in June. Currently, a RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Trump at 54 percent in the race for the GOP nomination, with DeSantis at 20 and no one else even close.