As drama lingers from the 2020 presidential election results, former president Donald Trump dominates headlines once again, this time putting the spotlight on the Peach State. August 16, Trump and 18 of his allies faced indictment charges from the Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis. The indictment charges emerge from Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss of electoral votes in Georgia.
The 98-page indictment outlines the details of the scheme to overturn election results in Georgia. For two and a half years, Willis took on the intricate case and investigated the alleged scheme to overturn election results. The actions mentioned include Trump’s infamous call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his attempt to persuade Georgia lawmakers to elect a new electoral college in favor of Trump. Alongside Trump, prosecutors charged 18 other individuals involved in the falsifying effort to overturn results. Major names include Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
With Willis and her team compiling accusations of the election plot, the detailed charges include Trump and his team of 18 people violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The RICO Act remains a federal law but holds a broader version in Georgia, allowing for the state prosecutors to consider the alleged actions as violations under the state law. Willis plans to try all of the defendants together but the act presents logistical challenges in handling the amount of people involved. According to NBC News, the defendants could petition to hold separate cases for each individual charged, arguing each would not receive a fair trial if all were charged altogether. Willis grants each individual until August 25 to voluntarily surrender to Fulton County officials.
“The point with Georgia’s RICO law is it gives them the ability to show a larger conspiracy and to include election fraud, which is what they [state prosecutors] are charging them [Trump] with a coordinated effort with election results. The Georgia law allows them to present it in court as a wider conspiracy rather than charging defendants individually, “ AP US Government and Politics teacher Scott Trepanier said.
Trump faces a slew of criminal charges as this becomes his fourth indictment. The other charges relate to his role in leading the January 6 insurrection, obtaining and mishandling classified documents after his term and falsifying business records. Trump stands as the only former president ever indicted, using this reputation as he campaigns as the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Statements from his Republican allies come to his defense, painting the indictment as an attack from the Democratic Party.
“This is disgraceful. Our country is over 200 years old. We have never once indicted a former president, or a candidate, and a leading candidate for president. And this is Joe Biden and this is the Democrats weaponizing the justice system because they’re afraid of the voters,” Texas Senator Ted Cruz said
