Former President Trump and 18 allies indicted in Georgia on charges related to election interference – marking his 4th criminal indictment

Former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen of his associates have been indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia. The charges include Election fraud, racketeering, and other offenses related to their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. This makes Trump the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. The indictment names Trump as the top defendant and includes 18 others, such as Rudy Giuliani, his former lawyer, and Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the indictments at a news conference, stating that arrest warrants have been issued for all the defendants. They have until noon on August 25 to turn themselves in. Willis emphasized the importance of the state’s role in the democratic process and criticized the defendants for engaging in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn the election results.

The indictment includes a total of 41 counts, with 13 against Trump. It also lists 30 unindicted co-conspirators. The charges are primarily related to violations of the Georgia RICO Act, which allows for criminal charges to be brought against individuals involved in a conspiracy to overturn the outcome of an election. The indictment describes the alleged criminal activities of the group, including false statements, impersonating a public officer, forgery, and perjury.

According to the indictment, the scheme began after Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, and the defendants knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump. The indictment outlines various actions taken by Trump and his associates, such as making false statements to state officials, creating fake Electoral College documents, and harassing election workers. It also accuses them of stealing data, including ballot images and voter information, and making false statements to government investigators.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His attorneys released a statement criticizing the investigation, calling it one-sided and unconstitutional. They stated that they look forward to a detailed review of the indictment. The charges against Trump include violations of the Georgia RICO Act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, forgery, filing false documents, and false statements and writings.

The investigation leading to the indictments was prompted by a phone call in which Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results. The indictment alleges that Trump made false claims about the election during the call. The investigation expanded to include other efforts by Trump and his allies to undermine Biden’s victory in Georgia.

The grand jury spent about six months conducting interviews and reviewing evidence before issuing the indictments. The charges were released to the public on Monday after being processed. The Trump campaign released a statement calling the district attorney a “rabid partisan” and accusing her of interfering with the 2024 presidential race.

The defendants have until August 25 to turn themselves in. If convicted, they could face prison time. The case will now proceed to trial, where the defendants will have the opportunity to present their defense.

Original Story at www.cbsnews.com – 2023-08-15 04:58:00