In a recent court filing, the special counsel team prosecuting former President Donald Trump for interference in the 2020 presidential election has indicated its intention to present evidence of Trump's false claims about election fraud dating back a decade. The prosecutors aim to demonstrate Trump's motive, intent, and plan to cling to power, according to the filing.

The court document asserts that Trump has a history of refusing to honor the peaceful transition of power and has consistently sidelined individuals who challenged his baseless assertions of fraud. The filing highlighted two individuals, the former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee and a Georgia election worker, who faced repercussions for pushing back against Trump's claims. In some cases, Trump allegedly even encouraged violence against them.

Senior Assistant Special Counsel Molly Gaston emphasized that the Justice Department plans to introduce evidence about an unnamed and unindicted co-conspirator who worked on Trump's 2020 campaign. According to the document, this individual sent text messages to a Trump lawyer, encouraging rioting and obstruction after the vote count at Detroit's TCF Center leaned in Joe Biden's favor on November 4, 2020.

The prosecutors also stated that during the same period, an election official at the Detroit site observed individuals inundating the area and aggressively challenging the voting tallies. Meanwhile, Trump posted false claims about election activities in Detroit, while, as the document alleges, his agent sought to incite a riot to disrupt the count.

"The evidence is admissible to demonstrate that the defendant, his co-conspirators, and agents were aware of his election loss, as well as their intent and motive to obstruct and overturn the legitimate results," wrote prosecutor Molly Gaston.

Notably, the filing also requested permission to present evidence regarding Trump's support of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The prosecutors argue that Trump's financial and rhetorical backing of these individuals, including leaders of the extremist Proud Boys group, offers further evidence of his intent to conspire to deprive people of their voting rights and defraud the government.

The Department of Justice highlighted that Trump's longstanding support for these individuals underscores his influence over their actions. The prosecutors assert that the evidence shows Trump directed them to act, and that the disruption of the certification proceeding on January 6 was precisely what Trump intended.

The court document, which contains some redacted portions, pertains to a federal rule of criminal procedure governing the introduction of evidence related to a defendant's prior "bad acts." U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will make the final decision on the admissibility of this evidence once she receives a written response from Trump's legal team.