Former US president, who faces four conspiracy and obstruction counts, is due to have bail conditions set
- Trump to appear in court over attempt to overturn 2020 US election
- What are the charges and what happens next?
- Ed Pilkington: 45 pages that skewer bid to destroy US democracy
Here is a reminder of the charges Donald Trump is facing today. He has been indicted on four charges:
Conspiracy to defraud the US
Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding
Conspiracy against rights
Despite having lost, the defendant was determined to remain in power. So for more than two months following election day on 3 November, 2020, the Defendent spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won. These claims were false, and the defendant knew that they were false.
Trump’s third appearance in a courtroom as a criminal defendant is expected at 4pm Eastern time (9pm BST).
Prosecutors in Washington will outline the four conspiracy and obstruction counts and a judge will set bail conditions.
The magistrate judge, Moxila Upadhyaya, will set a schedule for pre-trial motions and discovery.
Both sides are likely later to file motions seeking to shape what evidence and legal arguments will be permitted at trial, which could be many months away.
In a possible preview of Trump’s defence, his lawyer John Lauro called the indictment “an attack on free speech and political advocacy”, implying Trump’s lies about election fraud were protected under the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
