The Justice Department has accused former President Donald Trump of committing a third crime on January 6. A grand jury in Washington has issued an indictment with four counts related to Trump’s efforts to hold onto power after losing the 2020 election and his involvement in the events leading up to the storming of the U.S. Capitol. This is Trump’s third criminal charge, and it comes at a critical time as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

The indictment, revealed by the Justice Department, names six unnamed co-conspirators and follows an eight-month investigation by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The charges include conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, fraud against the government, and conspiracy to suppress the right to vote. These conspiracies targeted the fundamental process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election, according to the indictment.

Trump has dismissed the indictment as “fake” and accused Smith of attempting to interfere with the 2024 election. He questioned why the charges were brought now instead of years ago when he was running for president. The government has ordered Trump to appear in federal court on August 3.

The indictment accuses Trump of spreading false claims about election fraud, even though he knew they were inaccurate. Multiple officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, DOJ officials, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, and White House attorneys, have stated that there was no widespread fraud that could have changed the election outcome. Despite this, Trump continued to make false comments and attempted to submit false elector slates in key swing states that supported Joe Biden.

The indictment also highlights private phone conversations between Trump and Pence, during which Pence took notes. Trump allegedly criticized Pence for being “too honest” when Pence stated he lacked the authority to reject the election results. The indictment claims that a Trump supporter, John Eastman, convinced Pence to interfere with the Electoral College vote, even though it would likely lead to violence.

In response to the allegations, Pence declared that he chose the Constitution over Trump’s demands. The indictment states that even after the violence at the Capitol, Trump refused to withdraw his objections to the election certification, despite being urged by the White House counsel.

These recent charges add to Trump’s legal troubles. He also faces accusations of hoarding national security secrets and fabricating financial records in separate investigations. Additionally, the Fulton County District Attorney in Georgia is convening a grand jury to examine Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the state’s election results.

Despite the numerous criminal accusations, Trump’s ambiguous legal situation has not significantly affected his popularity among Republican primary voters. In fact, he has seen a rise in support and continues to lead in national polls for the GOP nomination in 2024.

Trump’s campaign has denounced the prosecutions as lawlessness and a politically motivated witch hunt. Trump himself claims that he has the right to protest what he believes was a rigged and stolen election. Legal experts argue that this defense is unlikely to hold up, as it is not a valid justification for using unlawful means.

The indictment against Trump is the result of an 18-month investigation by the Jan. 6 Committee, which concluded that Trump was mostly responsible for the events at the Capitol. The committee unanimously voted to file criminal charges, marking the first time a congressional committee has taken such action against a former president.

While Trump’s legal strategies may delay the trials, legal experts believe that even if he is found guilty, the charges would not invalidate his candidacy for president. According to the Constitution, a person can run for president as long as they meet certain requirements, regardless of any criminal charges they may face.

Smith and his attorneys face a challenging case with a significant amount of evidence and a complex narrative to present. This case is much more extensive than previous charges against Trump.