Former President Donald Trump boards his plane for departure from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Donald Trump asked a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss his indictment in Washington, D.C., alleging he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, arguing he has “absolute presidential immunity” from prosecution.
The 52-page filing claims that Trump has been unfairly charged for acts lying “within the outer perimeter” and “at the heart of his official responsibilities as president.”
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Trump’s defense lawyer John Lauro writes that Trump’s “efforts to secure election integrity” in 2020 and up to Jan. 6, 2021, were within the scope of his duties and that special counsel have wrongly concluded that his motives were “impure,” the filing states, or that he “knew” widespread reports of election and voter fraud were untrue and that he chose to seek them anyway.
The filing is the first substantial one from Trump’s attorneys that even begins to address the issue of Trump’s intent more thoroughly, though it runs up against existing widespread reporting as well as direct witness testimony from Trump White House officials and former members of the Trump administration who said they informed him repeatedly that election fraud was not rampant and would not change the outcome of the 2020 election.
This story is developing.
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