Trump Faces New Indictment Threat... "Targeted in Jan 6 Investigation, Witch Hunt"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is once again facing the risk of indictment. Following hush money payments related to a sexual misconduct scandal and the leak of classified documents, he is now under suspicion in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot.

On the 18th (local time), Trump posted on the social networking service 'Truth Social' that "Jack Smith, the crazy prosecutor from Joe Biden's Department of Justice, sent a letter," adding that "it states that I am the subject of a grand jury investigation regarding the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021." He said that Prosecutor Smith gave him only four days to provide an explanation and added, "Most Capitol investigations mean arrests and indictments."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The letter in question is sent by prosecutors to individuals under investigation to notify them that evidence related to a crime has been secured before an indictment. Accordingly, former President Trump is expected to appear before the grand jury to defend himself prior to any indictment. CNN reported that while such letters often strongly signal an impending indictment, not all recipients are ultimately indicted.

In another post, Trump called it a "witch hunt" and stated, "Joe Biden and his corrupt administration want to indict and arrest their political opponent (me), who is leading in the 2024 presidential election." He continued, "This has never happened before in the United States," and claimed, "During an election campaign? This is election interference and prosecutorial misconduct."

Earlier, on January 6, 2021, supporters of former President Trump, rejecting the 2020 election results, stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. during a joint session of Congress to certify the election outcome, causing a riot. As a result of the riot, nearly 1,000 people had been arrested by early this year. Within the U.S., this event has been widely regarded as one of the darkest and most shocking moments in the history of American democracy.

Having officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, Trump is considered a strong contender within the Republican Party. However, he faces ongoing judicial risks due to successive indictments. In April, Trump was indicted by the New York prosecutor on charges including making hush money payments related to a sexual misconduct scandal involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels and falsifying accounting records. Last month, he was indicted by federal prosecutors on 37 counts, including illegal removal of classified documents, becoming the first former U.S. president to face federal charges and appear in court. Trump has repeatedly described these actions as a "witch hunt."

Additionally, Trump is under suspicion for allegedly pressuring the Georgia Secretary of State by phone to overturn the 2020 election results. This allegation is considered serious enough to potentially result in actual imprisonment. It is expected that a decision on whether to indict him in this matter will be announced within the year.

After receiving the letter, Trump reportedly spoke with senior Republican officials, CNN reported. According to sources, the conversation focused on how to defend Trump. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker of the House, recently criticized the administration, saying that Trump’s approval ratings are ahead of President Biden’s and that "the government is being weaponized to go after the first enemy." He claimed, "The American public is tired of this."

The White House has only issued a general statement respecting the independence of the Department of Justice. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing that "(President Biden) is very committed to restoring the rule of law to the executive branch and the White House," and added, "We will not comment on this specific case." Special Counsel Smith has not issued any separate comments regarding this matter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.