From the indictment: 3. The Defendant had a right, like every American, to speak publicly about the election and even to claim, falsely ,that there had been outcome-determinative fraud during the election andthat he had won. He was also entitled to formally challenge the results of the election through lawful and appropriate means, such as by seeking recounts or audits of the popular vote in states or filing lawsuits challenging ballots and procedures. Indeed, in many cases, the Defendant did pursue these methods of contesting the election results. His efforts to change the outcome in any state through recounts, audits,or legal challenges were uniformly unsuccessful.

WTH response: That could be the most damning aspect of the entire indictment. It's bad enough the United States has reached a point where a federal prosecutor has had to file charges against a former President and explain that as a legal matter, the President is entitled to LIE to the press and public. It is worse that the prosecutor feels compelled to further elaborate that the defendant isn't being indicted for lying but for other crimes because he knows forty percent of the public is already predisposed to ACCEPT a President who lies consistently. About everything. Not mere "white lies" about minor political tactics or awkward family matters but "black lies" about the actual outcome of the most fundamental process in our democracy -- a federal election for President.