We begin with breaking news in one of the special counsel investigations of D.T. A federal grand jury here in Washington has voted to indictment the former president for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Among the charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruct an official proceeding and a civil rights-era law that makes it a crime to oppress threaten, or intimidate a person of their free exercise or enjoyment of any right in the constitution. It is just the second time in American history that the Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against a current or former US president. Special counsel J.S announced the indictment just moments ago. Today’s charges are related to T’s attempts to challenge the result of election he lost, plans for fake electors, and his role in the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. T responded today’s news on his social media account calling S deranged and the indictment election interference.

An historic day, with the former president in the current Republican front runner, D.T, being accused by the Justice Department of spearheading a criminal conspiracy against the United States. According to the indictment, for more than two months following election day, the defendant spread lies that there was fraud in the election and he actually won. These claims were false, and the defendant knew that they were false. The former president was also charged with impeding the January 6th congressional proceeding, where the 2020 election outcome was to be verified and led to the storming of the Capitol by T’s supporters. The indictment lists six unnamed co-conspirators. The actions described possibly match the conduct of former T attorney R.G, lawyer J.E and a former Justice Department official. The indictment also says T and some of the co-conspirators attempted to reach Senators late on January 6th to ask them to delay the certification vote even more so they can get states to object the count. Sources tell CBSN former President T’s legal team is now mapping out a new strategy to push back on the charges, shifting blames onto lawyers who were advising him at the time of the aftermath of the 2020 election. In a recent social media post, T noted his attorneys met with the Department of Justice, saying they explain in detail that I did nothing wrong and was advised by many lawyers. Sources say the strategy could involve trying to pin blame on J.E, T’s former lawyer who sought to have former Vice President M.P refuse to certify the 2020 election result and presented T a memo outlining a plan to do so. But those familiar with the special counsel’s works say T’s conduct is being deeply investigated and that prosecutors are skeptical that T was just following advice. The next step in this process will come on Thursday, when former President D.T has been summoned to appear in Washington, before the grand jury in the court.