00:00 Good evening. Today, an indictment was unsealed, charging Donald J. Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States,
00:10 conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.
00:17 The indictment was issued by a grand jury of citizens here in the District of Columbia,
00:23 and it sets forth the crimes charged in detail. I encourage everyone to read it in full.
00:30 The attack on our nation's capital on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault
00:39 on the seat of American democracy. As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies.
00:45 Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government,
00:53 the nation's process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election.
00:59 The men and women of law enforcement who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6 are heroes.
01:07 They are patriots and they are the very best of us. They did not just defend a building or the
01:15 people sheltering in it. They put their lives on the line to defend who we are as a country and as
01:21 a people. They defended the very institutions and principles that define the United States.
01:28 Since the attack on our Capitol, the Department of Justice has remained committed
01:34 to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for what happened that day.
01:38 This case is brought consistent with that commitment, and our investigation of other
01:45 individuals continues. In this case, my office will seek a speedy trial so that our evidence
01:52 can be tested in court and judged by a jury of citizens. In the meantime, I must emphasize
01:59 that the indictment is only an allegation and that the defendant must be presumed innocent
02:04 until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. I would like to thank the
02:13 members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who are working on this investigation with my office,
02:18 as well as the many career prosecutors and law enforcement agents from around the country who
02:25 have worked on previous January 6 investigations. These women and men are public servants of the
02:31 very highest order, and it is a privilege to work alongside them. Thank you.
02:37 Thank you.
02:38 MR PALLADINO: Thank you.
02:39 Thank you.
02:40 Thank you.
Comments