Former US President Donald Trump and several of his former advisers have been indicted by a grand jury in Georgia on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and other crimes related to their attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. The indictment, which was filed on Monday by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is the fourth criminal case against Trump this year and the second one stemming from his efforts to subvert the democratic process.
The indictment alleges that Trump and his co-defendants engaged in a criminal enterprise to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump, who lost Georgia by about 12,000 votes to Democrat Joe Biden. The indictment cites a number of actions that Trump or his associates allegedly took to interfere with the election, including:
- Pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to reverse Trump’s loss in a phone call on January 2, 2021.
- Falsely testifying to state lawmakers that widespread election fraud had occurred and urging them to reject the certified results.
- Encouraging state officials to violate their oaths of office by altering or destroying election records or ballots.
- Breaching a voting system in a rural Georgia county and accessing confidential voter information.
- Harassing and threatening an election worker who was the target of conspiracy theories.
- Submitting false slates of electors to Congress in an attempt to override the Electoral College vote.
The indictment lists 19 defendants and 41 counts in total. All of the defendants are charged with racketeering, which is used to target members of organized crime groups and carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Among the other defendants are Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, and lawyers Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman.
Trump denies wrongdoing and calls case a “witch hunt”
Trump and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing and called the case a politically motivated “witch hunt” by Willis, who is a Democrat. They have also questioned the validity of the indictment, which was briefly posted on the Fulton County court’s website on Monday before being removed without explanation. The court clerk’s office said that no documents had been filed on Monday related to the grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the case and described what it called “a fictitious document that has been circulated online”.
Trump’s lawyers said in a statement that they would “vigorously defend” against the charges and accused Willis of abusing her power and violating Trump’s constitutional rights. They also said that they would seek to have the case dismissed or moved to another jurisdiction.
Willis has not commented publicly on the indictment, but her office said in a statement that no charges had been filed against Trump as of Monday. The office did not explain why the document was posted or removed from the court’s website. Reuters reported that it was able to view the document before it was taken down and confirmed its authenticity with two sources familiar with the matter.
Georgia prosecutor faces challenges and risks
Willis, who took office in January, has been investigating Trump’s actions in Georgia since February. She has said that she is pursuing the case as a matter of law and not politics. She has also said that she is not afraid of any potential backlash or retaliation from Trump or his supporters.
However, Willis faces several challenges and risks in bringing charges against a former president who remains popular among many Republicans and has considerable influence over his party. Some of the challenges and risks include:
- Proving that Trump and his allies had criminal intent and acted with malice rather than exercising their free speech rights or expressing their opinions.
- Dealing with possible legal obstacles such as presidential immunity, statute of limitations, double jeopardy, or federal preemption.
- Handling potential political pressure or interference from state or federal officials who may try to undermine or derail the case.
- Managing public expectations and reactions from both sides of the political spectrum, especially if the case goes to trial or results in a plea deal or acquittal.
Willis has said that she is prepared for any outcome and that she is confident in her evidence and team. She has also said that she is acting in the best interest of justice and democracy.
Georgia case adds to Trump’s legal troubles
The Georgia case adds to Trump’s legal troubles, which have mounted since he left office in January. He is facing three other criminal cases, including:
- A federal case led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump in June with multiple counts of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, witness tampering, and lying to investigators related to his alleged attempts to overturn his election defeat.
- A New York state case led by Attorney General Letitia James and District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who charged Trump in July with tax fraud, insurance fraud, falsifying business records, and other crimes related to his business dealings.
- A Florida state case led by Attorney General Ashley Moody and District Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, who charged Trump in August with human trafficking, sexual assault, and racketeering related to his alleged involvement with a prostitution ring at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump has also been sued by several civil plaintiffs, including two women who accuse him of sexual misconduct, a group of Capitol police officers who blame him for the January 6 riot, and a voting technology company that claims he defamed it by spreading false allegations of election fraud.
Trump has denied all the charges and lawsuits against him and has vowed to fight them in court. He has also maintained that he won the 2020 election and that it was stolen from him by a rigged system and a corrupt media. He has said that he is considering running for president again in 2024.