Trump’s lawyer defends his right to petition the federal government in third indictment.
Trump’s Attorney Defends First Amendment Rights
Donald Trump’s attorney, John Lauro, passionately defended the former president’s right to petition the federal government under the First Amendment during several media appearances on Sunday.
Lauro recently joined Trump’s legal team to address the newest indictment stemming from his alleged effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He firmly believes that the charges, which also reference Trump’s alleged involvement in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, are nothing more than “an effort to prevent President Trump from running for president” in the 2024 election.
According to Lauro, “What we have here is political speech, where President Trump is petitioning the government.”
Last week, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Trump on four counts for his alleged involvement in challenging President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. The Department of Justice charged Trump with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, Obstruction of an Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, and Conspiracy Against Rights.
Lauro strongly argues that the indictment against Trump is an attack on his First Amendment rights.
“All of the examples in this indictment are core political speech,” Lauro emphasized. “Every single thing that President Trump is being prosecuted for involves aspirational asks — asking state legislatures, asking state governors, asking state electoral officials to do the right thing.”
“In fact, even asking Vice President [Mike] Pence was protected by free speech,” he added. “None of that is illegal.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation into Trump, reportedly referred to the events of January 6 as an “unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.”
“It was fueled by lies, lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government: the nation’s process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election,” Smith stated.
Trump vehemently denies any wrongdoing and accuses the indictment of being “election interference.”
In the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections and their aftermath, Lauro claims that President Biden made repeated statements about a plan to prevent his predecessor from running for president again. It is worth noting that Trump is currently the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
Biden addressed the media after the 2022 midterms, telling reporters, “We just have to demonstrate that he will not take power by, if we, if he does run. I’m making sure he, under legitimate efforts of our Constitution, does not become the next president again.”
Lauro suggests that, in the context of Biden’s remarks, the Justice Department is carrying out the so-called plan from the current president.
“Ironically, the same theories that are being used in this indictment against President Trump could be used against President Biden for enlisting his Justice Department,” Lauro told Fox News.
President Trump’s attorney John Lauro: “Make no mistake about it, this is an effort to prevent President Trump from running for president.” pic.twitter.com/ciAPfac63n
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) August 6, 2023
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