Trump news – live: DA says decision to file charges is ‘imminent’ as judge weighs release of grand jury report
A judge in Georgia heard arguments on Tuesday over the public release of a grand jury report following an eight-month probe into Donald Trump’s allleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in that state.
During its investigation, the panel heard testimony and evidence about the abuse and harassment of election workers, a fake elector scheme, and Mr Trump’s infamous phone call to election officials to “find” enough votes for his victory.
The report from the special grand jury, which is barred from issuing indictments, likely includes a summary of its investigative work and recommendations for indictments for alleged misconduct that prompted the investigation and its conclusions.
Attorneys for the former president have claimed that they were never involved with the probe, while Fulton Country District Attorney Fani Willis argued to keep the report private, for now, as her office appears ready to file criminal charges against people named in the report. A decision from her office is “imminent,” she told the judge.
Key points
Prosecutor wants to keep grand jury report private, for now, as her office prepares charges
What’s at stake in the Georgia grand jury report
White nationalist Nick Fuentes returns to Twitter
Four members of the Oath Keepers found guilty of seditious conspiracy for roles in Jan 6 attack
Capitol rioter who put his feet on Pelosi’s desk found guilty
Video resurfaces of Mike Pence denying taking classified documents
12:00 , Alex Woodward
In an ABC News interview last year, Mike Pence strictly denied taking any classified material from the White House upon leaving the administration upon Joe Biden’s swearing-in.
“Did you take any classified documents with you from the White House?” Mr Pence is asked in the clip by ABC’s David Muir.
“I did not,” he responds.
He then goes further, digging the hole deeper, and adds: “[T]here’d be no reason to have classified documents, particularly if they were in an unprotected area”.
Today it was reported that a lawyer for the former vice president had recently turned over a dozen classified records to the FBI after they were found his home in Indiana.
Video resurfaces of Mike Pence point blank denying taking classified documents
ICYMI: Trump invokes another racist attack on his transportation secretary, baselessly linking her to Biden documents
11:00 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump has revived his thinly veiled racist attack against his former transportation secretary Elaine Chao, whom the former president baselessly connected to Joe Biden’s classified documents case because of right-wing media scrutiny involving their alleged storage in Washington DC’s Chinatown.
His statement on Truth Social from 23 January involves a series of disconnected right-wing media claims and conspiracy theories, all spuriously intertwined by Mr Trump’s ongoing attacks against Ms Chao and her husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump baselessly links Elaine Chao to Biden documents in racist attack
Lawsuits, jail threats and ‘enemy of the people’: Donald Trump’s endless war on the media
10:00 , Alex Woodward
During the four years of his presidency, he called journalists and news outlets “fake news” roughly 2,000 times, averaging more than one daily broadside against the press and continuing a long legacy of attempts to undermine his critics that has continued well after his time in the White House.
Following the “leak” of a draft of what became the US Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down Roe v Wade, Mr Trump has repeatedly demanded that the journalist and outlet that published the draft be thrown in jail if they don’t reveal their source, accelerating the former president’s public war on the media.
A brief history of his recent attacks:
Lawsuits, jail threats and ‘enemy of the people’: Donald Trump’s war on the media
ICYMI: Fox News mocked over its latest culture war obsession – the ‘woke’ Xbox
09:00 , Alex Woodward
After getting M&Ms to drop their spokescandies amid right-wing claims that the cartoon chocolate characters weren’t attractive enough, Fox News personalities have identified a new target in the culture wars: Xbox.
Fox News mocked over its latest culture war obsession – the ‘woke’ Xbox
Nick Fuentes returns to Twitter
08:00 , Alex Woodward
Twitter banned 24-year-old fascist influencer Nick Fuentes in 2021 for his “repeated violations” of the platform rules, leading to a wave of far-right accounts flocking to other platforms like Telegram, where he has more than 53,000 subscribers.
At 7.30am ET, a verified account with his name posted a meme of the character Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants to announce his return to the social media platform, where new owner Elon Musk has opened the door to white nationalist, neo-Nazi and other far-right extremist accounts.
White nationalist and virulent antisemite Nick Fuentes returns to Twitter
ICYMI: Georgia DA says charge decision is imminent in Trump election interference as grand jury report kept secret
07:00 , Alex Woodward
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked that a special grand jury report on efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to reverse his 2020 election loss be kept under seal because she is still considering whether to ask for criminal charges against people involved in the schemes.
Speaking before Judge Robert McBurney at a Tuesday hearing in Georgia to determine whether the report will be publicly released, Ms Willis told the judge that making it public at this time could prejudice future cases against potential defendants.
“We think for future defendants to be treated fairly it’s not appropriate at this time for the report to be released," she said. She added that "decisions are imminent" regarding whether she will seek indictments.
Georgia says charge decision is imminent in Trump election interference probe
ICYMI: Trump defends his ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call in series of Truth Social posts
06:00 , Alex Woodward
In a series of Truth Social posts on Tuesday, Trump continued to lie about the results of the 2020 presidential election and defended his “perfect” phone call to Georgia officials looking to “find” votes for his victory in the state.
He baselessly alleged “cheating” in the election and ballot “stuffing” that no courtroom or election official has corroborated.
His claims came as a Georgia judge heard arguments over the release of a grand jury report from an investigation likely targeting the former president and his allies, teeing up indictments from prosecutors in the state.
He followed his statements claiming he “did a great job as president” in a nearly all-caps rant spanning two posts, calling federal law enforcement the “gestapo” for recovering documents at his Mar-a-Lago property that he refused to return, and for prosecuting people who stormed the US Capitol on January 6.
ICYMI: Classified documents found at Mike Pence’s Indiana home
05:00 , Alex Woodward
Former vice president Mike Pence’s lawyer turned over a dozen classified records to the FBI after they were found at the former vice president’s home.
A lawyer for Mr Pence found the documents at Mr Pence’s new home in Carmel, Indiana, where he served as governor and a congressman before he was tapped as Trump’s vice president.
The FBI and the Justice Department’s National Security Division launched an investigation into how the documents landed in Mr Pence’s home. Mr Pence’s lawyer told CNN that the FBI requested to pick up the documents marked classified that evening, to which he agreed.
Classified documents found at Mike Pence’s Indiana home
Khashoggi’s widow speaks out against Mike Pompeo’s ‘shameful’ remarks
04:00 , Alex Woodward
Trump’s former secretary of state Mike Pompeo has called murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi an “activist who supported the losing team” and whose killing received too much media attention.
“To be clear, Khashoggi was a journalist to the extent that I and many other public figures are journalists,” Mr Pompeo writes in Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love.
His widow Hanan El-Atr told The Independent that his remarks are “shameful”.
“I want to ask Mr Pompeo did he ever meet my husband? Did he ever talk to him? Where is he getting this false information,” she said.
Mr Pompeo has doubled down after facing widespread critism, respondint to a statement from The Washington Post’s publisher and CEO Fred Ryan condemning his “shocking” and misrepresentation of Khashoggi’s life.
Americans are safer because we didn’t label Saudi Arabia a pariah state. I never let the media bully me. Just b/c someone is a part-time stringer for WaPo doesn’t make their life more important than our military serving in dangerous places protecting us all. I never forgot that. https://t.co/jidmb6R6oU
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) January 24, 2023
“Americans are safer because we didn’t label Saudi Arabia a pariah state,” Mr Pompeo stated. “I never let the media bully me. Just b/c someone is a part-time stringer for WaPo doesn’t make their life more important than our military serving in dangerous places protecting us all. I never forgot that.”
Pompeo blasted for saying murdered Khashoggi got too much media sympathy
New Trump photo with mobster surfaces a day after outrage over ex-mob boss photo op
03:00 , Alex Woodward
A photo taken during the summer of 2022 shows a grinning former president Donald Trump flashing a thumbs up gesture while posing with John Alite, a podcaster and motivational speaker who was once a hitman for the Gambino crime family.
Alite, who confirmed the authenticity of the photo in a phone interview with The Independent, described himself as a political independent who supported Mr Trump’s push for criminal justice reform, and said his support for the ex-president is well known.
The Independent was made aware of the photo after The Philadelphia Inquirer published a photo with the former president and Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino, who ran the Philadelphia mafia in the 1990s when Mr Trump was a casino operator in nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey.
New Trump photo with mobster surfaces a day after outrage over ex-mob boss photo op
Trump drops appeal, ending legal fight over New York probe
01:00 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump has abandoned another lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James, a second time he’s halted legal action against her after a judge last week fined him and his lawyers nearly $1m for filing frivolous cases.
Trump drops appeal, ending legal fight over New York probe
‘You are the reason Brian is dead’: Mother of Capitol officer who died after Jan 6 asks judge for lengthy prison sentence against rioter
00:00 , Alex Woodward
In a letter to US District Judge Thomas Hogan included with the government’s filing against a Capitol rioter who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon, the mother of a Capitol officer who died after the attack told him “you are the reason Brian is dead”.
Brian Sicknick’s mother Gladys Sicknick said the rioter, Julian Khater, has taken “center stage in our recurring nightmare” after he pepper sprayed the officer in the face.
Federal prosecutors have asked for a prison sentence of seven and a half years.
“Just when raw nerves have begun to heal, we are carried back to the scene of your crime,” she wrote in her letter. “You, among all the other crazies – you are the reason Brian is dead, Mr Khater.”
In her emotional victim impact statement, Gladys Sicknick places the deaths of her son Brian and other officers who took their lives following Jan. 6 at the feet of people she describes as former President Trump's "footsoldiers." pic.twitter.com/BX4jUjD9Gw
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) January 24, 2023
After he was hit with pepper spray on 6 January, 2021, Sicknick collapsed later that day. He died the following day in hospital. His death was ruled to be from natural causes after suffering a series of strokes.
His partner Sandra Garza filed a $10m wrongful death lawsuit this month against Mr Khater and Donald Trump, accused of fuelling the mob with his baseless stolen election narrative.
Girlfriend of fallen Jan 6 police officer sues Trump over ‘incindiary’ election lies
Oath Keepers founder seeks new trial after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy for Jan 6 attack
Tuesday 24 January 2023 23:00 , Alex Woodward
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has filed a motion for a new trial after he was convicted in November of seditious conspiracy for his role leading the far-right group in the weeks leading up to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
OathKeepers founder Stewart Rhodes joins his co-defendants motion for a new trial in Capitol attack case.
Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy. He's jailed pending sentencing.. but no sentencing is scheduled yet pic.twitter.com/KydxzgA53Q— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) January 24, 2023
He is among six members of the group convicted by a jury of seditious conspiracy. Four other members were convicted of the treason-related charge on Monday.
The cases mark the first successful jury convictions of Americans on treason-related charges in decades, some of the biggest trials yet in the federal government’s sprawling criminal investigation into the Capitol attack.
‘Pence’s documents mishap scrambles the GOP’s efforts to go after Biden'
Tuesday 24 January 2023 22:28 , Alex Woodward
The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes that Republican plans to target Biden for his classified documents case was always going to be difficult, but news of Mike Pence’s own incident punctures a hole in their efforts:
Pence’s documents mishap scrambles the GOP’s efforts to go after Biden
Lindsey Graham says he would be ‘shocked’ to find anything ‘sinister’ with Biden documents case
Tuesday 24 January 2023 21:23 , Alex Woodward
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters on Tuesday that he would be “shocked” if the discovery of Obama-era classified documents at his residence and office revealed anything “sinister”.
He said his concerns amount to those he had with Trump’s possession of documents from his time in the White House, which he fought with federal agencies about returning. “Why did you do it, what were in the documents, how were they held, who had access to them,” Mr Graham said.
“Let me just say this,” he added. “I’ve known President Biden a long time. I’ll be shocked if there’s anything sinister here.”
Here's the video: pic.twitter.com/6QJI5N05aV
— Ahtra Elnashar (@AhtraElnashar) January 24, 2023
Fox News mocked for its latest culture war obsession: the ‘woke’ Xbox
Tuesday 24 January 2023 21:15 , Alex Woodward
After getting M&Ms to drop their spokescandies amid right-wing claims that the cartoon chocolate characters weren’t attractive enough, Fox News personalities have identified a new target in the culture wars: Xbox.
Fox News mocked over its latest culture war obsession – the ‘woke’ Xbox
ICYMI: 'Diamond & Silk’ vlogger Lynette Hardaway’s cause of death revealed
Tuesday 24 January 2023 21:00 , Alex Woodward
The death of Diamond – one half of the pro-Trump duo Diamond and Silk– prompted widespread speculation following the pair’s amplification of Covid-19 conspiracy theories, including Silk’s own remarks at her sister’s memorial service.
A death certificate obtained by the Associated Press found that she died from a heart condition.
‘Diamond & Silk’ vlogger Lynette Hardaway’s cause of death revealed
Trump baselessly links Elaine Chao to Biden documents in racist attack
Tuesday 24 January 2023 20:45 , Alex Woodward
Trump has revived his thinly veiled racist attack against his former transportation secretary Elaine Chao, whom the former president baselessly connected to Joe Biden’s classified documents case because of right-wing media scrutiny involving their alleged storage in Washington DC’s Chinatown.
His statement on Truth Social from 23 January involves a series of disconnected right-wing media claims and conspiracy theories, all spuriously intertwined by Mr Trump’s ongoing attacks against Ms Chao and her husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump baselessly links Elaine Chao to Biden documents in racist attack
Mike Pompeo blasted for saying Jamal Khashoggi was an ‘activist’ and received too much media sympathy
Tuesday 24 January 2023 20:00 , Alex Woodward
Trump’s former secretary of state Mike Pompeo has been strongly condemned for his dismissive statements about murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
He said that the 59-year Washington Post columnist did not deserve to be killed by the Saudi authorities but that his murder did not surprise him.
“To be clear, Khashoggi was a journalist to the extent that I and many other public figures are journalists,” Mr Pompeo writes in Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love, calling him an “activist who supported the losing team” and whose killing received too much media attention.
His widow told The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe that Mr Pompeo’s remarks are “shameful”.
“I want to ask Mr Pompeo, did he ever meet my husband? Did he ever talk to him? Where is he getting this false information,” Hanan El-Atr said.
Pompeo blasted for saying murdered Khashoggi got too much media sympathy
Trump defends Mike Pence after documents found at his home: ‘Leave him alone!!!"
Tuesday 24 January 2023 19:30 , Alex Woodward
In a post on his Truth Social, the former president defended Mike Pence as an “innocent man” who “never did anything knowingly dishonest in his life”.
“Leave him alone!!!” Trump wrote on Tuesday.
His post follows reporting that classified documents were found at the former vice president’s home.
Classified documents found at Mike Pence’s Indiana home
Just in: Video resurfaces of Mike Pence point blank denying taking classified documents
Tuesday 24 January 2023 19:15 , Alex Woodward
In an ABC News interview last year, Mike Pence strictly denied taking any classified material from the White House upon leaving the administration upon Joe Biden’s swearing-in.
“Did you take any classified documents with you from the White House?” Mr Pence is asked in the clip by ABC’s David Muir.
“I did not,” he responds.
He then goes further, digging the hole deeper, and adds: “[T]here’d be no reason to have classified documents, particularly if they were in an unprotected area”.
Today it was reported that a lawyer for the former vice president had recently turned over a dozen classified records to the FBI after they were found his home in Indiana.
Video resurfaces of Mike Pence point blank denying taking classified documents
Trump defends his ‘perfect’ Georgia phone call in series of Truth Social posts
Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:58 , Alex Woodward
In a series of Truth Social posts on Tuesday, Trump continued to lie about the results of the 2020 presidential election and defended his “perfect” phone call to Georgia officials looking to “find” votes for his victory in the state.
He baselessly alleged “cheating” in the election and ballot “stuffing” that no courtroom or election official has corroborated.
His claims came as a Georgia judge heard arguments over the release of a grand jury report from an investigation likely targeting the former president and his allies, teeing up indictments from prosecutors in the state.
He followed his statements claiming he “did a great job as president” in a nearly all-caps rant spanning two posts, calling federal law enforcement the “gestapo” for recovering documents at his Mar-a-Lago property that he refused to return, and for prosecuting people who stormed the US Capitol on January 6.
New Trump photo with mobster surfaces a day after outrage over ex-mob boss photo op
Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:45 , Alex Woodward
A photo taken during the summer of 2022 shows a grinning Trump flashing a thumbs up gesture while posing with John Alite, a podcaster and motivational speaker who was once a hitman for the Gambino crime family.
Alite, who confirmed the authenticity of the photo in a phone interview with The Independent, described himself as a political independent who supported Trump’s push for criminal justice reform.
The resurfaced photo follows the publication of Trump posing with another convicted mobster, “Skinny Joey” Merlino, who ran the Philadelphia mafia in the 1990s when Trump was a casino operator in nearby Atlantic City.
Andrew Feinberg reports:
New Trump photo with mobster surfaces a day after outrage over ex-mob boss photo op
Georgia judge to ‘circle back’ as court hears arguments over public release of grand jury report
Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:42 , Alex Woodward
After hearing arguments from both sides about the potential public release of a grand jury report following its investigation into Trump’s attempts to overturn election results in the state, Judge Robert McBurney said he will “circle back” as he determines a decision.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued to keep the document private, for now, as her office appears ready to prosecute people named in the report, while an attorney for a coalition of media groups argued that the report should be immediately be released in the interest of the public.
Andrew Feinberg reports:
Fulton County DA asks judge to keep election grand jury report secret
Just in: Trump withdraws second case against New York attorney general
Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:38 , Alex Woodward
The former president has withdrawn a second suit against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Last week, he withdrew his suit asking for federal intervention into the attorney general’s sweeping fraud lawsuit against him. That case was pending before a federal judge who had penalised Trump with nearly $1m in sanctions for his pattern of “frivolous” and “vexatious” litigation, his apparent strategy of delaying justice.
More on his previously dropped lawuist:
Retreating Trump drops Letitia James suit after $1m fine for ‘frivolous’ Hillary case
Full story: Fulton County DA Fani Willis asks judge to keep grand jury report on Trump’s election scheme secret for now
Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:15 , Alex Woodward
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has asked that a special grand jury report on efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to reverse his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden be kept under seal because she is still considering whether to ask for criminal charges against people involved in the schemes.
Fulton County DA asks judge to keep election grand jury report secret
Attorney for media groups argues for grand jury’s public report
Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:02 , Alex Woodward
An attorney representing a coalition of media groups seeking the public release of the grand jury’s report has argued for its released “now” and “in its entirety”.
“It is not unusual for the [district attorney] and for a prosecuting authority to release information during the progress of its case,” he added, referencing Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis’s argument to keep the report secret for now.
A decision on the grand jury’s report won’t be released today. Members voted to release it. Why the DA wants to keep it private
Tuesday 24 January 2023 17:47 , Alex Woodward
Judge McBurney noted that a decision on the public release of a grand jury report on Trump’s actions to influence the outcome of the 2020 election in Georgia won’t be released today. Members of the panel, however, wanted it to be publicly released.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she does not want the report released publicly, yet, as she suggested that multiple people involved in the report will be defendants in her office’s upcoming prosecutions.
“Decisions are imminent,” she told the judge.
Her deputy, Donald Wakeford, argued that the report should be viewed as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Ms Willis also revealed that the jury heard from 75 witnesses in its eight-month investigation.
Proud Boy who pleaded guilty to Jan 6 crimes testifying against members and group leader in seditious conspiracy case
Tuesday 24 January 2023 17:45 , Alex Woodward
A former member of the far-right gang the Proud Boys who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction in 2021 is currently testifying in a trial against other members of the group, including leader Enrique Tarrio, who face charges of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.
“We were openly expecting a civil war at that point,” Matthew Greene told the court on Tuesday.
In Proud Boys trial, former NY member Matthew Greene, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy & obstruction in 2021, has been testifying about his former co-defendant Dominic Pezzola's state of mind in late 2020.
“We were openly expecting a civil war at that point," Greene says.— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) January 24, 2023
What you need to know about the case:
‘Burn that city to ash’: Why five Proud Boys are on trial two years after January 6
Breaking: Classified documents reportedly found at Mike Pence’s Indiana home
Tuesday 24 January 2023 17:30 , Alex Woodward
A lawyer for Mike Pence has reportedly turned over a dozen classified records to the FBI after they were found at the former vice president’s home in Indiana.
Classified documents found at Mike Pence’s Indiana home
Just in: Fulton County proscutor does not want public release of grand jury report
Tuesday 24 January 2023 17:12 , Alex Woodward
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she does not want the special grand jury report to be made public.
“In this case, the state understands the media’s inquiry and the world’s interest. But we have to be mindful of protecting future defendant’s rights,” she said.
She suggested there are “multiple” defendants based on evidence from the grand jury, and that “decisions are imminent” from her office.
Hearing begins in Superior Court
Tuesday 24 January 2023 17:07 , Alex Woodward
Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney is presiding over arguments about the public release of a special purpose grand jury’s report following its eight-month investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the state.
The Georgia hearing starts soon. What’s at stake?
Tuesday 24 January 2023 16:45 , Alex Woodward
The result of a court hearing in Atlanta could signal the start of a process that may lead to former president Donald Trump or his allies facing criminal charges for trying to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election win in Georgia.
At noon, a judge will hear arguments on whether to release a report compiled by a special grand jury that has been investigating Trump’s efforts to reverse his 2020 election defeat, including his calls to election officials and a plot to submit forged electoral college documents to the National Archives to give then-vice president Mike Pence a reason to hijack the 6 January 2021 joint session of Congress by declaring him and Trump the winners.
Here’s what you need to know:
Key Georgia special grand jury hearing will discuss Trump probe. What’s at stake?
