Late on Monday, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia returned a criminal indictment against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his associates. The 41-count indictment brought felony charges against the group for their efforts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis enteres a room in the Fulton County Government Center ahead of a news conference, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Atlanta. Donald Trump and several allies have been indicted in Georgia over efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis | (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis alleges that in the weeks after the 2020 election, former President Trump knowingly pushed the false narrative that he had won and pressured Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to disregard the legitimate results.

The individuals charged in the indictment include Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, Ken Chesebro, Jeffrey Clark, Jenna Ellis, Ray Stallings Smith III, Robert Cheeley, Mike Roman, David Shafer, Shawn Micah Tresher Still, Stephen Lee, Harrison Floyd, Trevian Kutti, Sidney Powell, Cathleen Latham, Scott Hall, and Misty Hampton.

The grand jury’s 98-page ruling charges the 19 defendants with violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, among a series of other charges. Under a RICO case, prosecutors can link a series of related crimes committed by different people provided they worked towards a common goal.

Willis has given Trump and the other defendants until August 25 to surrender themselves for arraignment, at which point Trump is expected to be arrested and have his mugshot taken. This case can also uniquely be broadcast on national television, making this the most public of Trump’s criminal indictments to date.

The release of the indictment was further complicated by a leaked draft published to the court’s website hours before the grand jury returned its decision. As Valuetainment reported at the time, a list of charges against former President Donald Trump briefly appeared on the website of the Fulton County court, then suddenly disappeared after a short time—all before the grand jury returned with a ruling. Willis’ office has still provided no explanation for the premature publication.

Responding to the indictment, the Trump campaign called Willis a “rabid partisan who is campaigning and fundraising on a platform of prosecuting President Trump through these bogus indictments.”

The full text of the indictment against Donald Trump and his associates can be read here:

 

Add comment