What to Know
- U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the indictment against former president Donald Trump while in Philadelphia for a National Night Out event on Tuesday.
- While Garland was attending the event, officials announced former president Trump was indicted on four felony counts that accuse him of working to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.
- “In November last, I appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to take on the ongoing investigation in order to underline the department's commitment to accountability and independence," Garland said while addressing the indictment. "Mr. Smith and his team of experienced, principled career agents and prosecutors have followed the facts and the law wherever they lead."
Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the indictment against former president Donald Trump while in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Garland visted the Philadelphia area as part of National Night Out (NNO), an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between communities and police departments across the country.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Around 5:15 p.m., Garland attended an NNO event at the Philadelphia Police Department 22nd District building along the 1700 block of West Montgomery Avenue in Philadelphia. He was joined by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
Politics
Around the same time Garland was at the event, officials announced former president Trump was indicted on four felony counts that accuse him of working to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
The indictment accuses Trump of repeatedly lying about the election results, turning aside repeated overtures from some aides to tell the truth and conspiring with others to try to improperly change vote totals in his favor. The indictment also says that on the day of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, he attempted to “exploit” the chaos by pushing to delay the certification of the election results even after the building was cleared of violent protesters.
While leaving the NNO event in Philadelphia, Garland answered one question from a reporter who asked if Tuesday’s indictment against Trump would mark the end of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of the 2020 election interference or if more people could possibly face charges.
“So immediately after the January 6th attack on our democracy, the career men and women of the justice department engaged in what has become the largest investigation in our history,” Garland answered. “In November last, I appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to take on the ongoing investigation in order to underline the department's commitment to accountability and independence. Mr. Smith and his team of experienced, principled career agents and prosecutors have followed the facts and the law wherever they lead. Any questions about this matter will have to be answered by the filings made in the courtroom.”
Garland did not answer any further questions. He attended another NNO event at the Bensalem Township Pavilion on 2400 Byberry Road in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, at 7 p.m. Bensalem Police Director of Public Safety William McVey also attended.
