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Special counsel Jack Smith directly accused former President Donald Trump of sending angry supporters to the Capitol to “achieve the criminal objective” of preventing the certification of the 2020 election ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in a notice filed in Federal Court on Tuesday
“[Trump] sent supporters, including groups like the Proud Boys, whom he knew were angry, and whom he now calls ‘patriots,’ to the Capitol to achieve the criminal objective of obstructing the congressional certification,” Smith wrote. “Evidence of the defendant’s post-conspiracy embrace of particularly violent and notorious rioters is admissible to establish the defendant’s motive and intent on January 6.”
Smith added that Trump had the opportunity to call off his supporters and help to prevent much of the violence that occurred that day but chose not to.