The former U.S. President, Donald Trump, may soon be facing a new indictment in Georgia. This indictment would be connected to an ongoing investigation into allegations that he attempted to influence the outcome of the 2020 election within the state.
Should this indictment come to fruition, it will be the fourth criminal case launched against Trump. Previously, he faced 34 felony charges in New York City in late March and a second federal indictment that was revealed earlier this week. Fulton County’s district attorney in Georgia, Fani Willis, is spearheading the investigation and has hinted that the indictment might be issued on or before August 18.
In an interview with a local Atlanta news station, Willis expressed readiness and commitment to focus on issues that affected Georgia, emphasizing that if a law was broken within Fulton County, it’s her responsibility to prosecute.
The investigation into Trump by Willis began over two years ago, subsequent to the 2020 election. The Associated Press has reported that the inquiry encompasses Trump and his close associates, specifically looking into potential breaches of Georgia’s laws relating to organized crime.
There are six primary areas that Willis and her team are examining:
- Trump’s phone call on January 2, 2021, to Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger. During this call, he appeared to request that officials locate the votes needed to tip the balance in his favor over President Biden in Georgia. This particular call was a key factor in initiating the investigation.
- A possible coordinated effort by Trump’s team and some state Republicans to falsely assert that Trump had won Georgia in the 2020 election. Some of those involved have since reached immunity agreements with Willis.
- Investigating untrue statements by Trump’s aides about the legitimacy of Georgia’s election results.
- An inquiry into whether there was a concerted effort by Trump’s team to pressure election workers.
- Examining allegations that Trump’s team accessed election equipment in Coffee County, Georgia, without authorization.
- A possible examination of Trump concerning the sudden resignation of U.S. Attorney BJay Pak on January 4, 2021, after having reported no evidence of election fraud.
Additionally, Trump appeared in a federal court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as part of a separate investigation into election interference in 2020 and the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He pleaded not guilty to four charges that were brought against him earlier in the week, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and other related offenses.
His lawyer, Jesse Binnall, stated that the legal strategy would be to challenge the facts in the case. Binnall further argued that the case should never reach trial.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has also leveled 37 additional counts against Trump, connected to his alleged mishandling of classified records from his time in office.
