Former President Donald Trump, along with 18 of his allies, faces indictment charges in Georgia.
These charges relate to their alleged endeavors to invalidate his 2020 election defeat in the state.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the indictment, emphasizing the gravity of the charges by saying, “The indictment alleges that rather than abide by Georgia’s legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia’s presidential election result.”
Key elements of the indictment, spanning almost 100 pages, shed light on multiple episodes where Trump and his allies are accused of trying to reverse the election outcome.
Notable incidents include Trump’s alleged plea to Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to unearth more votes in his favor, and a supposed scheme by one of his attorneys to access and extract data from voting machines in a Georgia county.
Prominent figures named in the indictment encompass former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s attorney, and ex-New York City Mayor, as well as Jeffrey Clark, an official from the Trump-era Justice Department who was involved in attempts to counter Trump’s election defeat in Georgia.
Lawyers John Eastman, Sidney Powell, and Kenneth Chesebro, recognized for endorsing questionable legal arguments about reversing the election results, were also indicted.
DA Willis has given the defendants until noon on Aug 25 to voluntarily surrender.
She revealed her intention to begin the trial within the forthcoming six months and stated her preference to try all the defendants collectively.
In response to the recent indictment, Trump conveyed his sentiments on his Truth Social platform, stating, “So, the Witch Hunt continues! 19 people Indicated tonight, including the former President of the United States, me, by an out of control and very corrupt District Attorney who campaigned and raised money on, ‘I will get Trump.’ And what about those Indictment Documents put out today, long before the Grand Jury even voted, and then quickly withdrawn? Sounds Rigged to me! Why didn’t they Indict 2.5 years ago? Because they wanted to do it right in the middle of my political campaign. Witch Hunt!”
This latest case is the fourth criminal allegation against Trump in a span of five months, each emerging from a distinct city.
Trump nevertheless maintains a 40-point lead in the New Hampshire GOP primary, according to an Emerson College Polling Survey.
The poll released Tuesday shows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis giving up second place to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Nearly half (49%) of Republican primary voters plan to vote for Trump for the 2024 nomination.
That’s compared to 9% for Christie and 8% for DeSantis.
On the same day, the 45th President announced on his Truth Social platform that an “irrefutable” report on the 2024 “presidential election fraud” in Georgia is nearing completion and will be presented at a “major News Conference” next week.
In a detailed post, Trump states that the report, which is said to be “Large, Complex, Detailed” will be unveiled at 11:00 A.M. on Monday in Bedminster, New Jersey.
He confidently proclaimed, “There will be a complete EXONERATION!”
