https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/Special counsel Jack Smith charged Donald Trump in August 2023 in Washington with four federal crimes, alleging that he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss. The case was paused for an immunity appeal that ended in the Supreme Court's July 2024 ruling in Trump v. United States, then narrowed by a superseding indictment. It was dismissed without prejudice in November 2024 after Trump won the election, and no trial was held.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e22trump-january-6-federal-case-3746220540Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Chairman Chuck Grassley swore him in, Reuters reported. Smith told senators he would not be silenced by threats of prosecution, and committee members accused him of abusing his power in the Trump investigations.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e21trump-january-6-federal-case-7947ea91b6Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000Jordan sent the Justice Department a criminal referral alleging that Smith made false statements in his December testimony about his effort to gather phone records of lawmakers, NPR reported. The date is taken from NPR's report that the letter was sent late on Wednesday. Smith's lawyers said he gave truthful, responsive answers and accused the committee of an eagerness to weaponise the justice system. Smith has not been charged.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e20trump-january-6-federal-case-96fa2b6829Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000Smith testified publicly before the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Representative Jim Jordan, the Associated Press reported. Trump had posted that Smith should be prosecuted, and Smith said he believed the administration would try to prosecute him.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e19trump-january-6-federal-case-7a06e7a458Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000Smith gave a closed door deposition in December 2025, and a video and nearly 300 page transcript were released by 2 January 2026, NPR reported. He said he believed the election case would have led to a conviction and confirmed that his office had obtained call records of some lawmakers, which he said showed timing but not content.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e18trump-january-6-federal-case-29c5204ca6Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000Trump issued Proclamation 10989 granting pardons for conduct related to slates of presidential electors and efforts to expose alleged voting fraud in the 2020 election. Those named include Rudolph Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jeffrey Clark. The proclamation states that it does not apply to Trump.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e17trump-january-6-federal-case-01264210fcFri, 01 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000The independent Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency separate from the Justice Department, confirmed to Reuters that it was investigating whether Smith violated the Hatch Act, which limits political activity by federal employees. Senator Tom Cotton had requested the inquiry. The agency cannot bring criminal charges.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e16trump-january-6-federal-case-88579d497dMon, 27 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000Acting Attorney General James McHenry fired more than a dozen Justice Department employees who had worked on the prosecutions of Trump, the Associated Press reported, citing a department official.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e15trump-january-6-federal-case-694d2b9e64Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000Garland sent Volume One to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees for public release after a temporary order by Judge Aileen Cannon in the Southern District of Florida barring its release expired at midnight. Volume Two, on the classified documents case, was withheld.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e13trump-january-6-federal-case-fa7651c382Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000Smith delivered his final report to the Attorney General. Volume One covered the election case and stated that the office had concluded its evidence was sufficient for a conviction. Trump had pleaded not guilty and the conclusion was never tested at trial.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e14trump-january-6-federal-case-5791b6f6b7Wed, 01 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000Smith resigned in January 2025 after submitting his report, the Associated Press reported. His cover letter to the report said his and his staff's service was complete.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e11trump-january-6-federal-case-492ffb68e3Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000Following Trump's election victory, Smith asked the court to dismiss the case, citing the Justice Department's long standing position that the Constitution forbids indicting and prosecuting a sitting president. The filing said the request was not based on the merits of the charges, according to ABC News.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e12trump-january-6-federal-case-a3dedf6efbMon, 25 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000Judge Chutkan granted the motion the same day in a two page opinion and dismissed the indictment without prejudice, which Trump's lawyers did not oppose, ABC News reported. No trial was held and there was no finding of guilt or innocence.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e10trump-january-6-federal-case-2a685c1813Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000A redacted version of the special counsel's filing arguing that Trump was not immune for the conduct charged was unsealed in the case, the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors alleged in the filing that Trump resorted to crimes in a failed bid to cling to power after losing the 2020 election.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e9trump-january-6-federal-case-c4297d05dbTue, 27 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000After the Supreme Court decision a second grand jury returned a 36 page superseding indictment charging the same four offences based on conduct prosecutors said was not immunised, according to the special counsel's report. It described Trump mainly as a candidate and said the listed co-conspirators were not government officials during the conspiracies.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e8trump-january-6-federal-case-a40d733ccfMon, 01 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000In a 6 to 3 decision written by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court held that a former president has absolute immunity for acts within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority and at least presumptive immunity for all official acts. It vacated the D.C. Circuit judgment and sent the case back for further proceedings.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e7trump-january-6-federal-case-ed30ea1180Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000The justices heard oral argument on whether a former president has immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his term, the Court's opinion records.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e6trump-january-6-federal-case-07282f2f65Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000The Supreme Court granted Trump's petition for certiorari in Trump v. United States, No. 23-939, according to the Court's opinion.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e5trump-january-6-federal-case-493deb39aaTue, 06 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000A panel of Judges Henderson, Childs and Pan affirmed in an unsigned opinion, holding that a former president is not categorically immune from federal prosecution for acts taken while in office. The court had heard argument on 9 January 2024.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e4trump-january-6-federal-case-2878cefd23Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000Judge Chutkan denied Trump's motions to dismiss based on presidential immunity and on the Impeachment Judgment Clause and double jeopardy principles, the D.C. Circuit's later opinion records. Trump appealed.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e3trump-january-6-federal-case-1c2e567f43Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000Judge Tanya Chutkan set trial for 4 March 2024. Prosecutors had proposed January 2024 and Trump's lawyers had asked for April 2026, according to the Associated Press.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e2trump-january-6-federal-case-70ec0d8a87Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000Trump appeared before a magistrate judge at the federal courthouse in Washington two days after the indictment and pleaded not guilty to all charges, the Associated Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e1trump-january-6-federal-case-ee47f2e450Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000A federal grand jury in Washington returned a four count indictment charging Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. Prosecutors alleged that he tried to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. Trump was presumed innocent.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/trump-january-6-federal-case/#e0trump-january-6-federal-case-34f76d97acFri, 18 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000Attorney General Merrick Garland signed Order No. 5559-2022 appointing Jack Smith as special counsel, the Justice Department's records show.