Another Indictment?

Three indictments in place with two still left on the horizon - here is a breakdown of what we can expect from Jack Smith in Washington, DC, and Fani Willis in Fulton County, Georgia.

“I’m ready for an indictment, if you’re taking a poll…” - SHERO’s Senior Editor during the Monday meeting

Good Morning, from the Nation’s Capitol! Welcome to another week of “indictment watch,” where we all digest far too much cable news in anticipation of seeing that “BREAKING NEWS: TRUMP INDICTED, AGAIN” chyron. Since we have no further indicators on what the timing may be for another Donald Trump indictment, I thought we could quickly review where things stand in the two jurisdictions most likely to bring charges against former President Donald Trump this week.

Jack Smith in Washington, DC

While charges against Trump relating to the January 6 insurrection are not a guarantee, many who watched the events unfold that day are waiting for this indictment like it’s Christmas morning. Here is an excerpt from my first published article after the attack on the US Capitol Complex.

The events at the US Capitol last week have presented us with the overwhelming task of not only sorting out what happened, but who was specifically involved, and how high up the plan for insurrection went. The breach of one of our most sacred institutions has caused a need for an immediate reckoning of our government and ideals, in addition to managing the ongoing stress experienced by not knowing what comes next.

It’s clear America has some big problems to solve. The only way to start that process, is to pick up each painful piece of evidence in the assault on our democracy and analyze what it means both legally, for the sake of justice, and civilly, for the sake of our country. In my next few articles, I will attempt to sift through some of the major clues, as they reveal themselves, in an attempt to complete an overarching analysis of what happened last week.

Continue reading here:

One year ago, lawmakers in Congress held a series of investigative hearings where mountains of evidence - that included 1,000 witnesses, several subpoenas and nine public hearings- were presented to the American people. The Committee identified then-President Trump as the "central cause" of the attack and concluded that there was enough evidence to make criminal referrals against Trump to the Justice Department.

The four charges recommended were obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make a false statement, and inciting or assisting an insurrection. The House Select Committee, which was a bipartisan effort, said its work was intended to be "a roadmap to justice" for agencies and institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law. Now we wait to see if Special Counsel Jack Smith is willing to do what Robert Mueller, Merrick Garland and many others were not: hold Trump accountable for an attack on his own government and declare that he is unfit to hold public office.

Trump announced on July 18 that he received a letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith notifying him he is the target of a grand jury examining the Jan. 6 riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Members of the grand jury in the Jan. 6 investigation were spotted at the courthouse on Thursday of last week, but a court official said later in the day that no indictments had been returned, and that none were expected that day.

NBC News has reported that Donald Trump's lawyers met with Smith's office and were advised to expect an indictment, but Trump and a spokesman rebutted that report as being incorrect. Officials from the Secret Service and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department met last Thursday as well, to discuss the potential for violence from protesters if Trump is indicted.

An official said both the Secret Service and Washington police believe Trump may be indicted soon in connection with his involvement in Jan. 6 and interference in the 2020 election, but neither law enforcement organization has been given an exact date. An increased police presence has not been made obvious at the Prettyman Courthouse on Capitol Hill, although news vans and pundits have been camped out for a week.

Fulton County, Georgia

Security barricades were placed outside the Fulton County Superior Court in downtown Atlanta on Thursday, where former President Donald Trump and his allies are being investigated for violating the law in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In a written statement, the Fulton County Sheriff’s office says that it is “proactively coordinating with local, state and federal agencies to enhance security during high profile legal proceedings.”

A judge has scheduled a hearing on former President Donald Trump's motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. The motion also seeks to quash the special purpose grand jury report that gathered much of the evidence in the case.

This next hearing is set for Thursday, Aug. 10, at 10 am, and all briefs on the issue are due two days prior, on Aug. 8. The hearing comes as charges in the case could be imminent, as Willis previously said in a letter that she would be announcing her charging decisions by Sept. 1. For more background on this specific legal fight, read:

This morning, Judge Robert McBurney denied Donald Trump’s March motion filed to disqualify Willis and quash the findings of a special grand jury convened to review evidence in the matter. In his ruling McBurney wrote that Trump's legal argument was "insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigations."

District Attorney Fani Willis warned a group of county leaders over the weekend to “stay alert” and “make decisions that keep your staff safe.” At this point, it seems that the Fulton County barricades are just an early precaution and we still have another month to go, but safety is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

To stay posted on these events and the legal ramifications following any new charges, please stay tuned to SHERO, where we will continue to cover all of this news as it happens. For the most up to date notifications, please follow my feed here, as I will be posting breaking information as it happens.

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Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.

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