Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election: The federal investigation, explained

A former president has been charged with crimes connected to his attempts to overturn the results of an American election.

The federal investigation into the efforts from Donald Trump and his allies to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election has yieldedfour criminal charges in a 45-page indictment, outlining three alleged criminal conspiracies and the obstruction of Joe Biden’s victory and detailing a multi-state scheme built on a legacy of lies and conspiracy theories to undermine the democratic process.

A charging document under US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith follows a grand jury vote to indict Mr Trump after months of evidence and witness testimony. The trial, originally set for 4 March, has been delayed after Mr Trump claimed a presidential immunity defence. The US Supreme Court announced they would hear oral arguments for his defence on 25 April after it was shot down by the appeals court and by thefederal judge overseeing the case.

Mr Trump and 18 co-defendantsare separately charged in Georgia in a sprawling racketeering case outlining the multi-state scheme to pressure state officials and then-Vice President Mike Pence to subvert election results against the will of Georgia voters.

The indictments follow a separate, lengthy House select committee investigation into the events surrounding and leading up to the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, including a series of blockbuster public hearings laying out evidence and witness testimony describing the depth of Mr Trump’s attempts to remain in office at whatever cost.

That panel’s final 845-page report provides a detailed account of the former president’s refusal to cede power – regardless of the outcome – while privately