Special counsel Jack Smith's letter informing former President Donald Trump that he is the target of the Justice Department's Jan. 6 investigation signaled that he could be charged with a civil rights law that dates back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, three sources told The New York Times.
The letter cited three criminal statutes, including conspiracy to defraud the government and obstruction of an official proceeding, which were both included in the criminal referral from the House Jan. 6 committee. But the third law cited in the letter "was a surprise," according to the Times.
