Trump and 18 Allies Indicted in Georgia Election Interference Case

A Georgia grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies on felony charges alleging they orchestrated a “criminal enterprise” that sought to reverse Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory in Georgia and undermine US democracy.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought Monday’s 41-count indictment before a grand jury after a two-year investigation. It marks the fourth criminal case against Trump this year. 

The indictment also charged Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his legal advisor Sidney Powell, and several accused fake electors.

Although the Georgia case covers some of the same ground as the federal one in Washington, it dives into greater detail of the alleged conspiracy. It includes racketeering charges, conspiracy to commit forgery and perjury. Willis, a Democrat, used the state’s sweeping anti-racketeering law to describe an elaborate scheme aimed at helping Trump seize a second term in the White House.

Prosecutors allege Trump’s team worked to assemble so-called “fake electors” to falsely state that Trump won the election in hopes of derailing the certification of Biden’s victory.

They also accuse Trump and his attorneys of unleashing a pressure campaign against Georgia officials to help “find” enough votes to reverse his defeat. The indictment charges Trump with 13 felonies alleging he pushed false claims of voter fraud in court documents in a last-ditch effort to upend the election.

The indictment also alleges an effort by pro-Trump officials to breach sensitive election equipment in Coffee County, Georgia.

“Trump and the other Defendants charged in this Indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump,” the 98-page indictment reads.

Reaction to the indictment was split along party lines.

The Trump campaign blasted Willis as a  “rabid partisan who is campaigning and fundraising on a platform of prosecuting President Trump through these bogus indictments.”

Trump called the charges a witch hunt on his Truth Social platform.

“Why didn’t they indict 2.5 years ago? Because they wanted to do it right in the middle of my political campaign,” he said.

Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA), chair of Georgia Democrats, said Trump is now “facing the consequences of his actions.”

“Too bad for him that in Fulton County we apply the law equally to everyone–even failed former presidents,” she said in a statement.

Willis said Trump and the 18 other defendants must voluntarily surrender to authorities by Aug. 25 at noon, and she will seek a trial date within the next six months.