Jack Smith filing details Jan. 6 case against Trump

The special counsel's newly unsealed brief argues Trump is not immune from prosecution and gives new details on his efforts to overturn the election

Special counsel Jack Smith and Donald Trump
Mike Pence refused to help the former president overturn the election results, the detailed court filing said
(Image credit: Mandel Ngan / Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty Images)

What happened

Donald Trump "resorted to crimes to try to stay in office" after losing the 2020 presidential race, special counsel Jack Smith argued in a court filing unsealed Wednesday. And Trump's "increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results" were "fundamentally private" in nature, not "official" acts deemed immune from prosecution under a recent Supreme Court ruling. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan released the redacted 165-page brief over Trump's objections.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.