Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf
Page Number: 11.0

Cite as:  603 U. S. ____ (2024) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

of §1512(c)(2), §2, and (4) conspiracy against rights in vio-
lation of §241.1 

Trump moved to dismiss the indictment based on Presi-
dential immunity.  In his view, the conduct alleged in the 
indictment, properly characterized, was that while he was 
President he (1) “made public statements about the admin-
istration  of  the  federal  election”;  (2)  communicated  with
senior  Justice  Department  officials  “about  investigating 
election fraud and about choosing the leadership” of the De-
partment; (3) “communicated with state officials about the 
administration of the federal election and their exercise of 
official  duties  with  respect  to  it”;  (4)  “communicated  with
the Vice President” and with “Members of Congress about
the  exercise  of  their  official  duties  regarding  the  election 
certification”; and (5) “authorized or directed others to or-
ganize contingent slates of electors in furtherance of his at-
tempts to convince the Vice President to exercise his official 
authority in a manner advocated for by President Trump.” 
Motion  To  Dismiss  Indictment  Based  on  Presidential  Im-
munity  in  No.  1:23–cr–00257  (DC),  ECF  Doc.  74,  p. 9. 
Trump  argued  that  all  of  the  indictment’s  allegations  fell 
within the core of his official duties.  Id., at 27.  And he con-
tended that a President has absolute immunity from crimi-
nal prosecution for actions performed within the outer pe-
rimeter of his official responsibilities, to ensure that he can 
undertake the especially sensitive duties of his office with 
bold and unhesitating action.  Id., at 14, 24. 

The District Court denied the motion to dismiss, holding 

—————— 

1 Trump contends that the indictment stretches Section 1512(c)(2) “far
beyond  its  natural  meaning.”  Brief  for  Petitioner  39,  n. 4.    As  we  ex-
plained  in  Fischer  v.  United  States,  Section  1512(c)(2)  covers  acts  that 
impair  “the  availability  or  integrity for  use  in  an  official  proceeding of
records, documents, objects, or . . . other things used in the proceeding.” 
603 U. S. ___, ___ (2024) (slip op., at 16).  If necessary, the District Court
should  determine  in  the  first  instance  whether  the  Section  1512(c)(2) 
charges may proceed in light of our decision in Fischer.