Special counsel Jack Smith urged the Supreme Court to reject Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from criminal prosecution related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The court's decision will determine if and when Trump faces trial for charges including conspiring to defraud the United States and obstructing the certification of Joe Biden's victory. The special counsel argued that no president should be immune from prosecution for federal crimes, and the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the immunity issue before the term ends in late June or early July.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Pennsylvania law stating that mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates are invalid, overturning a lower court's decision. This decision comes after a series of legal battles and conflicting rulings regarding the validity of such ballots. The ruling is seen as a victory for election integrity and voter confidence, with the Republican National Committee praising the decision.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley blames Donald Trump for the division and losses within the Michigan GOP, stating that the party has become completely divided under Trump's leadership. She argues that Republicans will continue to lose as long as false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election persist. Haley, who is challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, emphasized the need to bring the party together and criticized Trump's use of campaign contributions for personal legal cases. She rallied supporters in Michigan ahead of the presidential primary, highlighting the string of Republican losses in the state since Trump's presidency and positioning herself as a moderate alternative to Trump's leadership.
A fake Certificate of Votes from Michigan's 2020 presidential election was submitted to the U.S. Senate, leading to forgery charges against 15 Republicans who falsely claimed to be electors. The document, which did not match the official one signed by the governor, arrived late and was deemed fake. Similar false certificates were sent from other battleground states, with some Republicans conceding in a legal settlement that their efforts were part of an attempt to improperly overturn the election results. Preliminary hearings are ongoing to determine the sufficiency of evidence for the charges.
Former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton believes that Donald Trump's impact on the Republican Party's long-term conservative philosophies will not be as significant as many think, describing Trump as an "aberration" without a successor. Bolton, a vocal critic of Trump, expressed concern about the potential damage a second Trump term could cause to the United States and hopes for a Trump loss in the 2024 election. He also highlighted the risk of a "retribution presidency" and the importance of having advisers who provide candid opinions to the president.
Andrew Yang endorses US Rep. Dean Phillips for president, citing Phillips' prioritization of country over personal aspirations. Phillips has adopted policies supported by Yang, including Medicare for All and Universal Basic Income pilot programs, as he aims to appeal to progressive voters in his challenge to President Joe Biden. Yang, who previously sought the Democratic presidential nomination, has broken up with the Democratic Party and registered as an independent. The New Hampshire Democratic primary is noncompliant with the DNC's nominating calendar, and while Biden did not register, state Democrats have mounted a write-in campaign on his behalf. Phillips' campaign is focused on the Granite State, hoping to kickstart his bid with Biden absent from the ballot there.
Testimony in court revealed that top Michigan Republicans tied the false certificate claiming Donald Trump won the state's 2020 presidential election directly to Trump's campaign, with campaign staffers involved in recruiting attendees and running the meeting of the false electors. The testimony could be crucial in proving intent to defraud, as lawyers working for Trump may have directed the Michigan Republicans or the activists may not have understood what they were signing. The preliminary examinations for six Republican electors continue as Attorney General Dana Nessel's office pursues criminal forgery charges.
Jury selection is set to begin in the defamation lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani filed by two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss. They are seeking damages ranging from $15.5 million to $43 million for Giuliani's alleged false accusations of election fraud. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell has already found Giuliani liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy. The trial will determine the amount of damages to be awarded. Giuliani has also been ordered to reimburse the plaintiffs for attorneys' fees and costs.
Six Republicans in Nevada, including the state GOP chairman, have been indicted for submitting false certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential election in their state. The charges include offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument, with penalties ranging from one to five years in prison. This is the latest in a series of investigations into the activities of Republican electors in several states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia. Democratic attorneys general in New Mexico and Arizona are also investigating the role of fake electors in their states.
A group of 10 Wisconsin Republicans who attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election by submitting false elector certificates pledging support to Donald Trump have withdrawn their filings and acknowledged that President Biden won the election. This marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battles against pro-Trump operatives, known as fake electors, in battleground states such as Wisconsin, Georgia, and Michigan. The civil settlement represents the first formal withdrawal of certificates claiming that Trump won Electoral College votes.
The special counsel's office has filed a response to Donald Trump's motion to strike references to the violence of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot from his criminal indictment, stating that Trump is responsible for the events as they were the "culmination" of his conspiracies to overturn the 2020 election. The special counsel also argued against Trump's attempts to dismiss the case, stating that he stands alone in American history for his alleged crimes and that there is no indication of selective or vindictive prosecution. Trump has made four attempts to dismiss the federal indictment, including on the basis of presidential immunity, and the trial is scheduled to begin on March 4.
California State Bar Court judge, Yvette Roland, has preliminarily found Trump attorney John Eastman culpable in an 11-count trial for allegedly conspiring to invalidate the 2020 presidential election. After 32 days of testimony, the judge made a preliminary finding of culpability, stating that the case will proceed with rebuttal testimony and aggravation. Eastman had earlier asserted his First Amendment right to speak out as a private citizen, not as counsel to Donald Trump, in remarks made before the January 6th raid on the US Capitol.
Lawyers for Donald Trump have filed a notice to appeal a partial gag order in the case accusing him of illegally attempting to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, prohibits Trump from making public statements that "target" prosecutors, court staff, and potential witnesses involved in the case. Trump has criticized the decision as a constraint on his free speech rights while campaigning for the 2024 Republican nomination, but the order still allows him to criticize the Justice Department and denounce the prosecution as politically motivated.
Former President Donald Trump has asked a federal court to dismiss charges of election interference, claiming that his role as president granted him "absolute immunity." His lawyers argue that his attempts to cast doubt on the 2020 election results were within his duties as president and aimed at ensuring the integrity of federal elections. Trump's legal team has also dropped a lawsuit against his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, citing time constraints due to ongoing legal suits and his 2024 presidential campaign. The former president has repeatedly alleged fraud in the 2020 election, but no evidence of widespread fraud has been found. Trump's attorneys have also requested the dismissal of 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a swipe at former President Donald Trump during his speech at the California GOP convention, suggesting that if Trump had truly turned Florida red, he wouldn't have allowed Georgia and Arizona to turn blue in the 2020 presidential election. DeSantis's remarks came in response to Trump's claim that he was responsible for turning Florida red and endorsing DeSantis. The two have been engaged in a war of words, with Trump taking credit for DeSantis's success while DeSantis's poll numbers continue to decline.
