Judge releases new evidence in Trump 2020 election subversion case

Release comes as part of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to subvert democratic process

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has made public a heavily redacted set of evidence in the federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump, who is accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.

This latest release on Friday, comes as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to subvert the democratic process, including claims of conspiracy to obstruct Congress's certification of the election results.

The evidence, spanning hundreds of pages, includes excerpts from interviews conducted during the congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot.

Although many sections were marked “sealed” or heavily redacted, familiar figures like former Attorney General William Barr feature in some documents.

Barr, for instance, is noted describing his post-election meeting with Trump after he publicly dismissed claims of large-scale election fraud. Shortly after that meeting, Barr resigned from his position.

While much of the content had been previously reported, the newly released documents provided further details on Trump’s alleged attempts to maintain power following his defeat to President Joe Biden.

These include conversations Trump had with family members and aides as he continued to push the narrative of a stolen election.

Trump’s legal team had sought to delay the release of these documents until after the November 5 election, arguing that their disclosure could bias the public and taint the jury pool.

However, Judge Chutkan ruled that withholding the evidence could be seen as election interference, rejecting Trump's request.

Despite the redactions, the judge maintained that the public had the right to access the material.

Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstructing an official proceeding, continues to argue that the case should be dismissed.

His defense is rooted in a recent US Supreme Court ruling, which found that former presidents enjoy broad immunity for actions taken while in office.

If Trump wins the upcoming election, many legal experts believe that he could instruct the Department of Justice to drop the case altogether.

Previously, Trump sparked controversy by describing the January 6 Capitol riot as a "day of love" and defending his actions, claiming, "Nothing done wrong at all" at Al Smith charity dinner in New York.

He also dismissed concerns about the violence, stating, “We didn’t have guns. The others had guns.”

In response to these developments, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the upcoming election, criticized his ongoing defense of the January 6 riot.

Speaking in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Harris condemned Trump’s description of the insurrection as a "day of love," highlighting that Americans are ready to move beyond the divisive rhetoric that has characterized Trump’s political approach.

She emphasized that the nation is "done" with his attempts to downplay the violent events that injured over 140 police officers and shook the foundations of US democracy.

The case is one of several legal challenges Trump faces as he seeks to regain the presidency, adding complexity to an already heated election season.