Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at a “Chase the Vote” rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona. | Photo by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0
By Ryan J. Reilly and Ken Dilanian
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday filed motions to drop all federal charges against President-elect Donald Trump regarding his mishandling of classified documents and his effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the lead-up to the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S Capitol.
Hours later, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted Smith’s motion to dismiss the Jan. 6-related indictment, formally bringing to an end the case that alleged Trump unlawfully conspired to overturn his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
Trump was first indicted in June 2023 in a federal court in Miami on 37 felony counts related to mishandling classified documents that he took from the White House to his Florida home. They included willful retention of national defense information, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. A Florida judge dismissed the case, but Smith’s office had sought an appeal.
