Former President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday, July 18, that he had received a letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith, informing him that he might be a target in the criminal investigation surrounding the events of January 6.
Trump’s attorneys received a letter from the special counsel, notifying them that their client could potentially face charges in the ongoing investigations.
Trump, on his part, took to his Truth Social account to share the news, suggesting that an indictment in the January 6 probe might be imminent. Two sources familiar with the investigation confirmed that Smith had indeed sent Trump a target letter. These letters are typically issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) when substantial evidence links an individual to a crime, allowing them to testify before a grand jury.
In his statement on Truth Social, Trump criticized what he referred to as “Deranged Jack Smith,” the prosecutor with President Joe Biden’s DOJ. He expressed his dismay at being given a mere four days to report to the grand jury, a timeline that often signals an impending arrest and indictment. Trump claimed his lawyers informed him of this “horrifying news” on Sunday evening.
Special Counsel Smith’s spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, a hearing in the ongoing classified documents’ criminal case is scheduled for Tuesday in a federal court in Florida. Trump’s legal team has requested that any trial in this case be postponed until after the 2024 election, a proposal that Smith’s prosecutors oppose.
In addition to the January 6 investigation, Trump is also the subject of a separate criminal inquiry led by a Georgia state prosecutor over his efforts to overturn his election loss to President Biden in Georgia. Neither Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer who spearheaded the election reversal effort, or Trump ally Lin Wood has reported receiving target letters from Smith.
