Win McNamee/Getty Images
- Trump said he got a letter saying that he's a target of Jack Smith's Capitol riot investigation.
- A "target letter" is a DOJ letter informing someone that they are a target for criminal prosecution.
- The letter typically lays out the crimes the target is suspected of committing.
Former President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he received a letter from the special counsel Jack Smith informing him that he's a target in Smith's investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A target letter is an official letter from the Justice Department telling someone that they may be prosecuted. Target letters often ā but not always ā precede an indictment, in which prosecutors formally lay out the criminal charges they're bringing against someone.