The target letter cites three statutes that Trump could be charged with: pertaining to deprivation of rights; conspiracy to commit an offense against or to defraud the United States; and tampering with a witness, according to multiple news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, which cited a person familiar with the matter. The Justice Department has been known in the investigation to be examining possible violations of the law around conspiracy and obstruction of the congressional proceeding on January 6, which is part of the witness tampering law, previously reported following a Justice Department search of a Trump administration adviser’s home. If Smith indicts Trump in the January 6 case, it would mark the third time that Trump has been criminally charged this year, and the second time by the special counsel. The Manhattan district attorney indicted Trump in March on charges of falsifying business records, and Smith charged Trump last month over the mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases. Trump denounced the special counsel on Tuesday as he revealed the target letter. At a Fox News town hall in Iowa Tuesday evening, Trump claimed that the election probe amounts to “election interference” and called it a “disgrace.” Video Ad Feedback Trump speaks out for first time since revealing he’s a target in the special counsel’s probe 00:54 – Source: Trump’s legal team has not formally responded to the invitation to testify before the grand jury, which the letter provides, but it is largely expected that Trump will decline to do so. The letter caught Trump’s team off guard, according to sources, as Trump’s advisers had not been anticipating Smith could bring charges this month – or against Trump himself. So far, Trump’s team has not identified anyone else who received a target letter, according to sources. The grand jury is continuing to hear from witnesses, and a close Trump adviser, Will Russell, is expected to appear on Thursday. Russell, a White House aide who has continued to work for Trump after he left office, has already testified to the grand jury at least twice before. Russell’s attorney declined to comment. — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers and advisers are trying to figure out if there is evidence and witnesses they are unaware Trumps A federal a target list Sunday night signal The potential charge listed indicate the special prosecutor will pursue a bigger case than Trump’s legal team was expecting, given the evidence they are aware of. That has led to questions if there is evidence or testimony they don’t know about, the sources said. Trump’s team of lawyers and advisers have tried to keep close tabs on investigation. The former president’s political action committee has underwritten legal costs for multiple witnesses, which has given them
The special counsel’s investigation into Russian election interference has left President Trump’s legal team scrambling to figure out whether the investigation has evidence and witnesses they don’t know.
