Jack Smith Amplifies Case Against Trump with Key Involvement of Former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows
The latest superseding indictment against former President Donald Trump prominently includes Mark Meadows, his former White House Chief of Staff.
According to a report by Newsweek on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, The new indictment marks a substantial intensification in the legal scrutiny surrounding Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, particularly focusing on Meadows’ involvement in the controversy.
The updated indictment highlights Trump’s actions in Georgia, where Meadows, along with 18 other individuals, faces charges related to election fraud.
Meadows is also implicated in a separate indictment in Arizona on similar charges. Both Meadows and Trump have pleaded not guilty to these allegations.
As of Wednesday, Newsweek reached out to the attorneys representing Trump and Meadows, as well as to the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith, for comments.
The previous federal indictment contained the statement: “On January 2, four days before Congress’s certification proceeding, the Defendant and others called Georgia’s Secretary of State.
During the call, the Defendant lied to the Georgia Secretary of State.”
The newly revised indictment now reads: “On January 2, four days before Congress’s certification proceeding, the Defendant, his Chief of Staff—who sometimes handled private and others called Campaign-related logistics for the Defendant—and private attorneys involved in the lawsuit against Georgia’s Secretary of State called the Secretary of State.
During the call, the Defendant lied to the Georgia Secretary of State.”
This revision introduces a more detailed portrayal of Meadows’ role, emphasizing his involvement in handling “private” and “Campaign-related” logistics.
This distinction is crucial as it suggests that these actions fall outside the core presidential duties as defined by the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, which was issued on July 1.
The revised indictment brings Meadows into the spotlight of the infamous phone call made to the Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger.
During this call, Trump demanded Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes, a figure he insisted was necessary to overturn the election results.
Trump also implied that Raffensperger and his legal team could face criminal consequences if they failed to uncover the election fraud Trump alleged. This key interaction is central to both the initial and the new indictments.
Trump’s legal battles have already seen him indicted on four counts related to his alleged attempts to reverse the 2020 election results, culminating in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
The former president, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has consistently denied the charges, branding the case as a political “witch hunt.”
The Supreme Court’s July 1 decision, which was rendered by a 6-3 majority, affirms that presidents enjoy broad immunity for their official actions.
The Court clarified that presidents have absolute immunity for core political acts and some immunity for other actions carried out in their presidential capacity.
However, it also stated that no immunity applies to purely private conduct.
Moreover, the ruling indicated that official acts cannot be used as evidence in cases involving unofficial actions, a point that plays a significant role in the current Trump case.
The newly issued 36-page indictment retains the original four criminal counts but places a stronger emphasis on Trump’s role as a candidate rather than as a sitting president. This adjustment reflects a strategic shift in the prosecution’s approach.
Reports from October 2023 suggested that Meadows had been granted immunity to testify before Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team, having engaged with them at least three times that year.
Despite this, Meadows faces charges in Arizona as of 2024. Should federal prosecutors succeed in convincing Meadows to testify against Trump, it would represent a substantial development in their case.
Trump has publicly praised Meadows on social media, contrasting his perceived lack of cooperation with that of other Trump allies, such as Jenna Ellis, who have taken plea deals and cooperated with investigations in the Georgia case.