‘Make them riot’ — Trump election case judge unseals special counsel motion on immunity

A federal judge on Wednesday unsealed a motion by Special Counsel Jack Smith detailing evidence against former President Donald Trump in his criminal election interference case in Washington, D.C.

The 165-page document was filed by Smith as part of the prosecutor’s argument that Trump can still be held accountable in criminal court for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss despite a Supreme Court ruling finding he has presidential immunity for official acts.

The motion says that after the November election, as Trump “claimed [ballot fraud] without proof, his private operatives sought to create chaos, rather than seek clarity at polling places where states were continuing to tabulate votes.”

The filing says that on Nov. 4, 2020, a campaign employee and “co-conspirator” of Trump tried to sow confusion at the vote count being held at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan, which “looked unfavorable to” Trump.

When a colleague of that unidentified campaign employee told that person that a batch a votes appeared to be heavily in favor of Joe Biden, the employee responded “find a reason it isn’t,” “give me options to file litigation” and “even if itsbis,” the filing alleges.

“When the colleague suggested that there was about to be unrest reminiscent of the Brooks Brothers Riot” during the Florida vote count in the 2000 election, the campaign employee “responded ‘Make them riot’ and ‘Do it!!!,’ ” the motion alleges.

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