Donald Trump and 18 others are indicted on counts that include racketeering, perjury and theft.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/2916091

Former US President Donald Trump has been charged with attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia.

He and 18 others have been indicted on counts that include racketeering in a 41-charge document issued by a Fulton County grand jury.

The indictment marks the fourth time Mr Trump has been criminally charged this year.

He has denied the accusations in all cases.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched an investigation in February 2021 into allegations of election meddling against Mr Trump and his associates.

The list of defendants indicted late on Monday night includes former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former White House lawyer John Eastman and a former justice department official, Jeffrey Clark.

The indictment says the alleged co-conspirators “knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump”.

The charge sheet also refers to the defendants as a “criminal organization”, accusing them of a number of crimes, including:

False statements and writings
Impersonating a public officer
Forgery
Filing false documents
Influencing witnesses
Computer trespass
Conspiracy to defraud the state
Theft and perjury.

The most serious charge, violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Rico) Act, is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The act - designed to help take down organised criminal syndicates like the mafia - helps prosecutors connect the dots between underlings who broke laws and those who gave them marching orders.

  • justdoit@lemm.eeEnglish
    75·
    11 months ago

    This is an obvious exaggeration, but I can’t help but feel like we’re witnessing a death match between American democracy and the Republican Party.

    • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
      233·
      11 months ago

      Nah, just the justice system processing another wanna be gangster that went on a crime spree. everything happening right now, across the board, is a direct consequence of his decisions and actions. Republicans choose to foolishly hitch themselves to him, personally.

        • Meowoem@sh.itjust.works
          114·
          11 months ago

          Part of that is because they have legal teams expertly guiding them in skirting the law and not leaving evidence of crimes, trump’s top minds hold press conferences at landscaping companies because they have the same name as prestigious hotel chains.

          • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
            31·
            11 months ago

            I’m a simple human. Someone reminds me of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, I laugh and I upvote. ⬆️

        • Arghblarg@lemmy.ca
          31·
          11 months ago

          Perhaps Drumpf’s usefulness has been deemed to be ended, by those vastly more wealthy and powerful than he.

        • EtnaAtsume@lemmy.ml
          2·
          11 months ago

          Slight correction: It is well known for doing nothing to the rich. A distinction as subtle as it is important…and telling.

          I don’t intend to be a negative Nancy about it all but I expect everything will fall through some crack or slip through some loophole or…just get looked away from, in the end. It’s a pattern I’ve seen again and again with this man.

    • ours@lemmy.filmEnglish
      12·
      11 months ago

      It’s not a death match but it’s going to be a significant threshold where democracy gets further eroded or protected. Hopefully, it could be the end of Trump as a politician but who knows?

    • Scientician@waveform.socialEnglish
      9·
      11 months ago

      Keep in mind the Republicans are evolving beyond Trump, and this New Right is a real threat.

      Case in point, that story earlier this week about Republican thinks tanks funding anti-education, anti-trans, anti-race mixing efforts, which stokes their culture war in ways that have and will continue to provoke real people to act in violent and harmful ways.