A Texas Republican was vocally fighting Trump’s nomination and filed over 20 challenges. He was arrested on January 9 over tax fraud charges, raising concerns over “retribution” and retaliation.
Castro’s fight against Trump
The 40-year-old tax consultant filed at least 27 challenges against Trump, citing Amandemint 14, section 3. Castro was also a long-shot GOP nominee, previously wrote on X he was ready to “unleash legal hell” on Trump. Castro promised, “Make no mistake: I will end Trump’s political career.”
Charges against Castro
According to Newsweek, Castro was charged with 33 counts of “aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent return for alleged crimes.” The prosecutors described charges as “stunning in their brazenness.” At the center of the charges are allegations that Castro defrauded the government with his tax preparation business, Castro & Company LLC.
Dates correlate
Castro was indicted on the same day his New Hampshire ballot was dismissed. Though he was unsuccessful in other states, the media picked up the story, and many legal experts from various political spectrums agreed that Trump should be disqualified. Former federal judge Michael Luttig argued numerous times that the former President’s violation of the 14th Amendment “couldn’t be any clearer.”
Castro claims he’s innocent
The tax lawyer maintained his innocence and told the Hill he had no doubts that the case against him was politically motivated. Castro also stated he would not take any plea deals but wanted the case to go to trial.
Accusations of “retaliation”
Castro stated, “This is going to trial. I am going to convince all 12 jurors that I am 100 percent innocent and that this is political retaliation.” He repeated these claims to Newsweek and several other publications. Castro was not part of the Colorado and Maine’s decisions to remove Trump off the ballot.
Castro’s plans
The tax attorney told the Times, “They sat on it for three years to see if I would stop being a problem, politically, and go away, and I didn’t.” He was supposed to appear in West Virginia, Kansas, and Montana to challenge Trump being on the ballot, but these cases are now endangered.
The DOJ’s statement
“The Department of Justice will continue to hold people accountable who steal from the federal government’s — and the American public’s — pockets,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton in a statement.
Special agent’s statement
“This is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring,” Tammy Tomlins, special agent in charge of the Newark field office, said, adding, “Today’s indictment sends a clear message, you will be held accountable if you abuse our tax system for your personal financial gain.”
Castro’s defense
The Texas Republican said in a Newsweek interview that previous issues with the Internal Revenue Service were resolved in 2021, adding, “Fast forward three years later, I decided to start suing Trump in September 2023, and that is when they decide that they’re going to now impanel a grand jury and present that issue and try to secure an indictment.”
“Totally bogus”
Castro called the situation “totally bogus” and added, “This is not by happenstance, this is not by pure chance at all. This is intentional targeting and political retaliation and abuse of the grand jury process.” He also shared, “When I’m found to be innocent, we’re planning to sue the government for malicious prosecution.”
Colorado and Maine took off Trump from the ballot
After Colorado and Maine took Trump off the ballot, the 14th Amendment Section 3 question will be decided in the Supreme Court. The actions of these two states also raised questions about whether the voters should decide because Trump was charged but not convicted of insurrection.
Sticky situation
Trump’s team appealed the decisions from Colorado and Maine, and the Supreme Court will have to decide whether Trump will be kept on the ballot. The potential problem is that the DOJ already charged Trump with an alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 elections, and the SCOTUS’ decision will significantly impact the federal indictment.
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