Every key finding from the Trump special counsel report that impacts the president-elect

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Smith says it was his “duty” to investigate the former president’s conduct, adding he stands by his decision “fully” and that prosecutors “cannot control outcomes” and must simply commit to doing their jobs “the right way for the right reasons.” The extent of Trump’s pressure campaign against Pence open image in gallery Trump attempted to weaponize Mike Pence’s role in certifying the election results The special counsel frequently cites Mike Pence’s own words from his memoir So Help Me God as he outlines the intensity of Trump’s pressure campaign against his own vice president. Smith details ‘crucial’ deception at heart of fraudulent electors plot The special counsel describes the plan to “organize the people who would have served as Mr Trump’s electors, had he won the popular vote, in seven states that Mr Trump had lost.” The Republican billionaire wanted supporters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to sign and send to Washington false certifications claiming to be the legitimate electors. He writes that the scheme “quickly transformed into a corrupt strategy to obstruct the certification proceeding and overturn the valid election results” and involved electors in the targeted states being sent instructions “on how best to mimic the manner in which the state required valid electors to gather and vote.” Smith continues: “For the most part, the co-conspirators deceived Mr Trump’s elector nominees in the targeted states by falsely claiming that their electoral votes would be used only if ongoing litigation were resolved in Mr Trump’s favor. “Not all of Mr Trump’s elector nominees were persuaded, forcing the co-conspirators to recruit substitutes in some of the targeted states.” Probe into co-conspirators continued after Trump charged open image in gallery Trump appears remotely for a sentencing hearing in front of New York State Judge Juan Merchan in the criminal case in which he was convicted in 2024 After Trump was originally indicted in 2023 on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding, Smith’s team continued to investigate the former president’s co-conspirators with a view to further charges.