Donald Trump and 18 of his allies have been indicted in Georgia for their alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. Prosecutors have applied a statute typically associated with mobsters to accuse the former president, lawyers, and other top aides of scheming to keep Trump in power. The indictment, issued by the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, outlines numerous acts by Trump and his allies to undo his defeat in Georgia, including pressuring state officials to find enough votes, making false claims of voter fraud, and attempting to persuade lawmakers to appoint new electoral college electors favorable to Trump.
Among the defendants named in the indictment are former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, and Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official who allegedly advanced efforts to undo Trump’s election loss in Georgia. Several other lawyers who devised legally dubious ideas to overturn the election results, including Sidney Powell and John Eastman, have also been charged.
Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney, stated that Trump and the other defendants knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump. The charges include violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), as well as conspiracy to commit forgery and conspiracy to commit false statements.
The 97-page indictment portrays Trump, his lawyers, and aides as members of a criminal organization operating in Georgia and other states. This language evokes imagery associated with mob bosses and gang leaders.
These indictments represent the latest legal troubles for Trump, who was recently charged by the Justice Department special counsel for his alleged involvement in a vast conspiracy to overturn the election. The Georgia case stands out due to its broader scope and the fact that Trump would not have the opportunity to pardon himself or influence the outcome by appointing an attorney general if he were to be elected president again in the future.
As the criminal cases against him continue to mount, Trump is using his legal troubles to rally his Republican allies and portray himself as a victim of Democratic prosecutors. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has already come to Trump’s defense, claiming that Americans see through this desperate sham.
The indictment accuses Trump of making false statements and writings regarding the election results to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other state election officials. It references a meeting at the White House in December 2020, where Trump’s allies proposed seizing voting machines and appointing a special prosecutor to investigate voter fraud allegations in Georgia and other pivotal states that Trump had lost.
Prosecutors also allege that Meadows attempted to observe a signature match audit in Cobb County, despite it not being open to the public. State officials prevented him from entering the prohibited area.
The indictment comes as prosecutors seek to hold Trump accountable for his role in undermining the foundations of American democracy following the January 6th Capitol riot. Trump’s supporters consider him the only former president facing criminal charges and he is leveraging these charges in his campaign and fundraising efforts ahead of a potential 2024 presidential run.
The Georgia indictment is significant in its breadth and the absence of potential pardon or influence from Trump. It reflects the ongoing efforts to shed light on the events surrounding the 2020 election and holds the potential to impact Trump’s political future. The defendants named in the indictment have until August 25th to surrender voluntarily, and the district attorney plans to request a trial date within six months.
