Trump and 18 others charged in Georgia election inquiry - sh.itjust.works

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