donald trump
Former President Donald Trump.
  • 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.