WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has made it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, a charge that also has been brought against former President Donald Trump. The justices ruled Friday the charge of obstructing an official proceeding must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. Only some of the people who violently attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, fall into that category. The decision could fuel claims of political retribution by Trump and his Republican allies. Special counsel Jack Smith has said the charges faced by Trump would not be affected. The charge was enacted in 2002 in response to the financial scandal that brought down Enron Corp.
