Trump’s Election Interference Trial “Taking Shape”

From National Public Radio:

The federal election interference case against former President Donald Trump is coming into sharper focus, as prosecutors assert he is responsible for the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and offer new clues about how they intend to prove it.

The case set for trial in Washington, D.C., in March accuses Trump of leading a conspiracy to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election and deprive millions of voters from having their ballots count. More than 140 law enforcement officers suffered injuries after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.

Lawyers for Trump asked the judge to remove mentions of what happened that day from the four-count felony indictment because they could “inflame” or prejudice the jury.

“[N]ot a shred of evidence suggests President Trump called for any violence or asked anyone to enter the Capitol unlawfully,” Trump attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche wrote in a court filing this week.

“Not a shred?”

Well, if that’s the case, it’s hard to understand how we got here.  I urge folks to simply read the indictment (linked above).  It’s short and devoid of legalese, and more importantly, it came as result of evidence presented to an impartial grand jury.

I would add that, though I’m not a lawyer, I can’t imagine the basis for keeping the complete indictment out of the hands of the jury, even if it were possible.

At this point, we all wish we had more insight into the activities of the 18 other conspirators, some of whom have already “flipped,” i.e., pleaded guilty to lesser chargers in exchange for cooperative testimony.

We can, however, use our imaginations.  Suppose you were tragically born without a conscience and became one of Trump’s minions.  You now face 10+ years in prison–unless you’re willing to tell the truth (for once in your miserable life).