The focus is currently on the upcoming 2024 presidential campaign and the legal proceedings involving former President Donald Trump in relation to the events of January 6th. However, there is another significant case that could have a greater impact on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump.
The case in question is Joseph W. Fischer v. United States, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in December. Although it does not directly mention Trump, it is highly relevant to the ongoing legal proceedings. The case revolves around Joe Fischer, a defendant charged on January 6th, and raises the issue of whether the Department of Justice and prosecutors have been misusing a law enacted in 2002 to punish financial crimes. If the court rules in favor of Fischer, it could cast doubt on the applicability of this law to other defendants connected to the events of January 6th, including Trump.
Smith’s indictment against Trump consists of four counts, including two counts of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and one count of actual obstruction. These charges fall under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also known as the “SOX” Act, which was passed in response to the Enron scandal and governs financial disclosures.