Prosecutors file revised indictment against Donald Trump
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Washington: Pressing with the charges of overturning the 2020 US presidential election, prosecutors filed a revised indictment of Donald Trump on Tuesday, reports Agence France-Presse.
The fresh indictment retains the old four charges against Trump but takes into account a recent Supreme Court ruling that a former president has broad immunity from criminal prosecution.
Thus, the new indictment against the Republican has come down to 36 pages in length against the 45 pages in the earlier version. The new one removed material affected by the immunity ruling from the conservative-dominated top court. However, at the core, it maintained that Trump lost in 2020 but was determined to remain in power and attempted to subvert the results.
In July, the Supreme Court ruled that a former president has broad immunity from prosecution for official acts conducted while in office but can be prosecuted for unofficial acts. AFP writes that this ruling threw a shadow on Trump's historic prosecution.
Meanwhile, Trump responded to the new indictment that it is an "act of desperation" and part of a "witch hunt" against him.
He wrote on his Truth Social Platform, "The illegally appointed 'Special Counsel' Deranged Jack Smith, has brought a ridiculous new Indictment against me, which has all the problems of the old indictment, and should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY."
AFP reported that the new indictment arrived three days before Special Counsel Jack Smith and lawyers Trump had set to file a schedule for pre-trial proceedings. It was Special Counsel Smith who brought the charges against Trump.