Former President Trump was indicted for a third time on Tuesday, with new federal charges arriving as Trump holds a large lead in polls for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination.
Trump was indicted on four counts:
- Conspiracy to defraud the United States
- Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
- Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding
- Conspiracy against rights
Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to deliver a statement Tuesday evening.
The grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned the indictment in the Justice Department’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 election shortly after Trump signaled he expected to be indicted.
The new charges come as Trump’s lead over second-place poll-finisher Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has grown in the months since the first charges were announced.
The latest New York Times/Siena College poll found Trump leading DeSantis 54 percent to 17 percent among likely Republican primary voters.
The poll also showed 74 percent of GOP respondents said they didn’t believe Trump committed serious crimes. It found 13 percent believe he did, up from 6 percent last September.
Ninety-one percent of those who listed Fox News as their most-trusted media source said they didn’t think Trump committed a serious crime.
While indictments haven’t appeared to hurt Trump in polls, his legal troubles have had an effect on his campaign finances.
As The Hill’s Brett Samuels reported, “Trump’s political operation is facing a cash crunch even as he outraises his GOP rivals.”
The former president has maintained the various investigations into him are designed to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.
Trump pleaded not guilty to charges in the two other cases in which he was indicted, one being a Justice Department probe into documents he allegedly mishandled and the other, a New York state case into alleged efforts to conceal hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Related news: The arraignment for Trump and aide Walt Nauta on new charges in the documents case is set for Aug. 10.
More on the charges against Trump, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch.
Check out The Hill’s live blog of today’s events here.