ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump and several allies were indicted in Georgia on Monday, accused of scheming to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. It’s the fourth criminal case to be brought against the former president and the second to allege that he tried to subvert the results of the vote.
The Fulton County grand jury indictment of Trump follows a two-year investigation ignited by a January 2021 phone call in which the then-president suggested that Georgia’s Republican secretary of state could help him “find 11,780 votes” needed to reverse his narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Read the full indictment here: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23909541/23sc188947-criminal-indictment.pdf
Other defendants included former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who advanced his efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.
Trump was previously indicted in early August by a federal grand jury for conspiring to undermine the 2020 vote and prevent the peaceful transfer of power through a series of lies and unlawful actions taken after the general election and leading up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He pleaded not guilty in that case.
As indictments mount, Trump — the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024 — often invokes his distinction as the only former president to face criminal charges. He is campaigning and fundraising around these themes, portraying himself as the victim of Democratic prosecutors out to get him.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia grand jury that has been investigating former President Donald Trump over his efforts to undo that state’s 2020 election results arrived at a frenzied conclusion late Monday, returning indictments even as prosecutors offered no clarity about who had been charged and for what.
The existence of indictments became apparent around 9 p.m., when the Fulton County judge who for months has been presiding over the grand jury investigation was presented by courthouse officials with a set of papers in a courtroom packed with reporters anticipating news.
But neither the judge nor county officials revealed any details about the documents — though at least some of the indictments appeared to be for cases other than Trump. Even so, all signs pointed toward the grand jury moving toward an indictment in the Trump investigation: The panel worked late, some witnesses scheduled to appear Tuesday testified instead on Monday and the judge who’s been handling the matter, Robert McBurney, encouraged reporters to stay late. Adding to the scene were live cameras following county officials inside the courthouse, hoping to glimpse signs of action.
If Trump is indicted in Georgia, it would mark the fourth time this year he’s faced criminal charges. He’s also been indicted by federal officials for allegedly hoarding classified documents and conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. But the Georgia case is unique for its sprawling nature and the potential that Trump could be charged alongside multiple associates and aides.
The Georgia prosecution is also notable for its chaotic conclusion. Even as prosecutors summoned as witnesses multiple former state officials, including the ex-lieutenant governor, the process hit an unexpected snag in the middle of the day, when Reuters reported on a document listing criminal charges to be brought against Trump. Those included state racketeering counts, conspiracy to commit false statements and solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer.
Reuters, which later published a copy of the document, said the filing was taken down quickly. A spokesperson for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said the report of charges being filed was “inaccurate,” but declined to comment further on a kerfuffle that the Trump legal team rapidly jumped on to attack the integrity of the investigation.
The office of the courts clerk later released a statement that seemed to only raise more questions, calling the posted document “fictitious,” but failing to explain how it got on the court’s website. The clerk’s office said documents without official case numbers “are not considered official filings and should not be treated as such.” But the document that appeared online did have a case number on it.
But neither the judge nor county officials revealed any details about the documents — though at least some of the indictments appeared to be for cases other than Trump. Even so, all signs pointed toward the grand jury moving toward an indictment in the Trump investigation: The panel worked late, some witnesses scheduled to appear Tuesday testified instead on Monday and the judge who’s been handling the matter, Robert McBurney, encouraged reporters to stay late. Adding to the scene were live cameras following county officials inside the courthouse, hoping to glimpse signs of action.
If Trump is indicted in Georgia, it would mark the fourth time this year he’s faced criminal charges. He’s also been indicted by federal officials for allegedly hoarding classified documents and conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. But the Georgia case is unique for its sprawling nature and the potential that Trump could be charged alongside multiple associates and aides.
The Georgia prosecution is also notable for its chaotic conclusion. Even as prosecutors summoned as witnesses multiple former state officials, including the ex-lieutenant governor, the process hit an unexpected snag in the middle of the day, when Reuters reported on a document listing criminal charges to be brought against Trump. Those included state racketeering counts, conspiracy to commit false statements and solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer.
Reuters, which later published a copy of the document, said the filing was taken down quickly. A spokesperson for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said the report of charges being filed was “inaccurate,” but declined to comment further on a kerfuffle that the Trump legal team rapidly jumped on to attack the integrity of the investigation.
The office of the courts clerk later released a statement that seemed to only raise more questions, calling the posted document “fictitious,” but failing to explain how it got on the court’s website. The clerk’s office said documents without official case numbers “are not considered official filings and should not be treated as such.” But the document that appeared online did have a case number on it.
“I think this tells us what they are planning to present to the grand jury, and the grand jury could say no,” said Clark Cunningham, a Georgia State University law professor. He said while the error will give Trump’s legal team fodder to complain, “it will not scuttle the case.”
