According to Daily Mail, Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, finds himself entangled in a web of legal troubles, potentially facing charges of election interference under a law that traces its roots back to shortly after the Civil War. This legislation, enacted to curb acts of terrorism by Southern white people aimed at preventing black people from voting, may now come into play against Trump for his actions surrounding the 2020 vote.
Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed to investigate Trump’s conduct following the election, recently sent a ‘target letter’ to Trump’s lawyers, indicating that there is substantial evidence tying the former president to potential criminal charges. The letter outlined three possible charges, two of which were widely expected—conspiracy to defraud the government and obstruction of an official proceeding. However, the third charge, invoking a law dating back more than a century, took many by surprise.
This particular law, Section 241 of Title 18, makes it a crime for individuals to conspire to “injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person” in the “free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States.” Historically, this law has been applied in cases involving alleged tampering with ballot boxes by casting false votes or manipulating votes after the election.
One prominent case in 1950 saw a judge in the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rule on a ballot box-stuffing incident, underscoring the importance of a fair and unadulterated vote count. This right was reaffirmed in a 1974 Supreme Court opinion by Justice Thurgood Marshall, asserting that every voter has a constitutional right to have their vote accurately and honestly counted, without being nullified by fraudulent acts.
Trump’s potential legal jeopardy stems from his actions in Georgia, where he allegedly attempted to undermine the fairness of the vote by pressuring Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes for him. The investigation into this matter involves surveillance camera footage from polling stations, as well as recordings of conversations between Trump and Raffensperger.
Aside from the Georgia voting case, Trump is already facing charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The trial for this matter is being hotly contested, with Smith’s team seeking an expedited timeline, while Trump’s lawyers argue for indefinite delays due to the complexity of the case and the sensitive nature of the documents involved.
Trump has not been shy about voicing his disdain for the special counsel, accusing him of being a “deranged prosecutor” with a track record of failure. He has also expressed frustration that President Joe Biden has not faced the same level of scrutiny or legal challenges.
