WASHINGTON—Hush-money payments. Classified records. And now, his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election that led to the Capitol attack. Already facing criminal cases in New York and Florida, Donald Trump faces increasing legal peril as investigations into his struggle to cling to power after his election loss appear to be coming to a head.

A target letter sent to Trump by special counsel Jack Smith suggests he may soon be indicted on new federal charges, adding to the remarkable situation of a former president up against possible prison time while vying to reclaim the White House as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

While some presidential candidates, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have been willing to aggressively criticize the former President over the allegations, Trump continues to have plenty of support from elected Republicans in Congress.

On Wednesday, Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said the legal probes amounted to election interference.

“They are trying to jam in every possible indictment on every possible subject and case before the election in a transparent attempt to influence the election just like the Hillary Clinton campaign did in 2016,” Hawley, who will be on the ballot in a re-election bid in 2024, told Spectrum News.

“I’m not at all surprised by the Jack Smith target letter because it’s absolutely clear what Merrick Garland and Joe Biden’s strategy here is which is to prevent Trump from running for the presidential nomination and if he gets the nomination– I believe he will–to prevent him from being elected president.”

Hawley has described it as inevitable that Trump will win the GOP nomination. Other Republicans in the St. Louis area have gone further with more full-throated endorsements, including U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill.  

Trump has denied wrongdoing in all the cases and dismissed the prosecutions as a malign effort to hurt his 2024 campaign.

It's unclear when Smith's investigation may wrap up. Trump said he was invited to appear before the grand jury this week, though targets of investigations don't have to testify and rarely agree to do so. The grand jury, which meets in secret, would ultimately vote on whether there is enough evidence to charge him with a crime. Federal grand juries are made up of about 16 to 23 people, and at least 12 must agree in order to hand down an indictment.

Among the potential charges legal experts have said Trump could face are conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding: Congress’ certification of Biden's electoral victory. Hundreds of the more than 1,000 people accused of federal crimes in the Jan. 6 riot have been charged with the obstruction offense, which carries up to 20 years in prison.