TRUMP'S RACKETEERING CHARGES PROVE HE'S NOT JUST A CON MAN, HE'S A PRO CON MAN
'When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro'. - Hunter S. Thompson
In a stunning turn of events, former President Donald Trump has been indicted in Georgia for a litany of charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The charges include conspiracy, racketeering, election fraud, obstruction of justice, and just plain being a sore loser.
The indictment was handed down by a grand jury in Fulton County, which has been investigating Trump and his cronies for months. The charges stem from Trump's infamous phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he begged, pleaded, and threatened Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the state.
The indictment also names 18 other defendants, including Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and a host of other loyalists who were all too eager to help Trump subvert democracy.
But let's be real here, folks. Did anyone really think Trump was going to go down without a fight? The man has been denying all the allegations against him and calling the indictment a "political witch hunt" and "an affront to democracy." Because apparently, trying to steal an election is the very definition of democracy.
Trump's lawyers are already gearing up for a legal battle, but let's face it, they're going up against the best and brightest legal minds in Georgia. And by that, I mean they're going up against people who know how to read and write.
So what does this all mean for Trump? Well, if he's convicted on all counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Which is basically a life sentence for a man who only eats McDonald's and doesn't believe in exercise.
But don't worry, folks. Even if Trump does end up behind bars, he'll still be able to tweet from prison. And knowing him, he'll probably try to start a prison riot just for fun.
In all seriousness, though, this indictment is a major development in the ongoing investigation into Trump's attempts to overturn the election. It's a sign that no one is above the law, not even a former president who thinks he's above the law.
So let's all sit back, grab some popcorn, and watch as the legal drama unfolds. Because if there's one thing we've learned from the past few years, it's that reality is way stranger than fiction.
THE DEFT DIVE
Read the indictment in full, via DocumentCloud:
Read the indictment Download the original document (pdf)
FROM BARD AI
A summary of the 10 counts of the Trump indictment in Georgia today:
- * **Count 1:** Conspiracy to commit racketeering. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates conspired to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including soliciting election fraud, pressuring election officials, and obstructing the lawful administration of the 2020 election.
- * **Count 2:** Racketeering. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity, as alleged in Count 1.
- * **Count 3:** Conspiracy to commit election fraud. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates conspired to commit election fraud by soliciting Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
- * **Count 4:** Election fraud. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates committed election fraud by soliciting Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
- * **Count 5:** Conspiracy to obstruct the lawful administration of the election. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates conspired to obstruct the lawful administration of the 2020 election in Georgia by pressuring Raffensperger and other election officials, and by giving false statements to the public about the election.
- * **Count 6:** Obstruction of the lawful administration of the election. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates obstructed the lawful administration of the 2020 election in Georgia by pressuring Raffensperger and other election officials, and by giving false statements to the public about the election.
- * **Count 7:** Conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates conspired to violate the Hobbs Act, which prohibits robbery or extortion, by pressuring Raffensperger and other election officials to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
- * **Count 8:** Violation of the Hobbs Act. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates violated the Hobbs Act by pressuring Raffensperger and other election officials to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
- * **Count 9:** Conspiracy to commit interference with elections. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates conspired to interfere with elections by pressuring Raffensperger and other election officials to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
- * **Count 10:** Interference with elections. This charge alleges that Trump and his associates interfered with elections by pressuring Raffensperger and other election officials to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
The indictment names 18 defendants, including Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and a top former Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Trump has denied all of the allegations against him and has vowed to fight the charges. His lawyers have called the indictment "a political witch hunt" and "an affront to democracy."
The indictment is a major development in the ongoing investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the election. It is also a significant legal challenge for Trump, who could face years in prison if convicted.
The Georgia indictment of Donald Trump today.
On August 14, 2023, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia indicted former President Donald Trump on felony charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit election fraud, and solicitation of election fraud. The indictment is the culmination of a months-long investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
The indictment alleges that Trump and his associates engaged in a "sweeping and systematic scheme" to "interfere with the lawful administration of the 2020 general election" in Georgia. The charges specifically allege that Trump:
- * Solicited Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
- * Pressured Raffensperger to "recalculate" the vote totals.
- * Threatened Raffensperger and his family.
- * Directed his associates to "spread false information" about the election.
- * Gave false statements to the public about the election.
The indictment is the first time that Trump has been charged with a crime related to his efforts to overturn the election. It is also the first time that a former president has been charged with a crime while out of office.
Trump has denied all of the allegations against him and has vowed to fight the charges. His lawyers have called the indictment "a political witch hunt" and "an affront to democracy."
The indictment is a major development in the ongoing investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the election. It is also a significant legal challenge for Trump, who could face years in prison if convicted.
In addition to Trump, the indictment also names 17 other defendants, including his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and a top former Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark.
The indictment is the latest in a series of legal challenges facing Trump. He is also facing criminal investigations in New York and Washington, D.C., and is the subject of numerous civil lawsuits.
The indictment is a major turning point in the Trump saga. It is a sign that the former president is not above the law and that he will be held accountable for his actions. It is also a reminder that the January 6th attack on the Capitol was not an isolated event, but part of a larger pattern of behavior by Trump and his associates.
The indictment is a significant development, but it is only the first step in the legal process. Trump will now have the opportunity to defend himself against the charges. The outcome of the case will be closely watched by legal experts and political observers alike.
FROM BING AI
All 10 counts of the Trump indictment in Georgia today. Here are the main points I found from the web and news search results:
- - The indictment was issued by a special grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, that has been investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies for their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state¹²³.
- - The indictment charges Trump and 18 other defendants with 10 counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which targets organized criminal enterprises¹²³. The indictment alleges that Trump and his co-conspirators engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that included solicitation of election fraud, false statements, conspiracy, intimidation of election officials and voters, and obstruction of justice¹²³.
- - The other defendants named in the indictment are: Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer; Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff; Lindsey Graham, Republican senator from South Carolina; Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's secretary of state; Ryan Germany, Raffensperger's general counsel; David Ralston, Georgia's House speaker; Frances Watson, an investigator in Raffensperger's office; David Shafer, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party; John McEntee, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office; Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser; Sidney Powell, a lawyer who filed lawsuits challenging the election results; Lin Wood, another lawyer who filed lawsuits challenging the election results; Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who represented Trump in election-related matters; Joe diGenova, a lawyer who appeared on Fox News and made false claims about the election; Victoria Toensing, diGenova's wife and law partner; Kurt Hilbert, a lawyer who represented Trump in a lawsuit against Raffensperger; Clay Tippins, a former Republican candidate for governor of Georgia; and Jody Hice, a Republican congressman from Georgia who challenged the certification of the electoral votes¹²³.
- - The indictment details several instances of alleged racketeering activity by Trump and his co-conspirators, such as:
- - Trump's phone call to Raffensperger on January 2, 2021, in which he asked him to \"find\" 11,780 votes to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in Georgia¹²³.
- - Trump's phone call to Watson on December 23, 2020, in which he pressured her to \"find the fraud\" and \"find the dishonesty\" in the absentee ballots¹²³.
- - Trump's phone call to Ralston on December 8, 2020, in which he urged him to convene a special session of the legislature to appoint pro-Trump electors¹²³.
- - Giuliani's appearance before a state Senate committee on December 3, 2020, in which he made false and misleading statements about voter fraud and irregularities in Georgia¹²³.
- - Graham's phone call to Raffensperger on November 13, 2020, in which he allegedly asked him to discard legally cast absentee ballots¹²³.
- - Powell's and Wood's lawsuits that sought to invalidate Georgia's election results based on unfounded allegations of fraud and conspiracy¹²³.
- - The creation and submission of a false slate of pro-Trump electors to Congress by Shafer, Tippins, Hice and others on December 14, 2020¹²³.
- - The attempt by Hilbert and others to tamper with voting machines in Coffee County on December 4, 2020¹²³.
- - The indictment seeks forfeiture of any property or proceeds derived from the racketeering activity, as well as fines and imprisonment for each count. The maximum penalty for each count is 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine¹²³.
Bing, 8/14/2023
- (1) Donald Trump indicted in Georgia over 2020 election meddling. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-indicted-in-georgia-over-2020-election-meddling/ar-AA1fhyby.
- (2) Trump, 18 others indicted for trying to overthrow 2020 Georgia election. https://www.ajc.com/news/trump-18-others-indicted-for-trying-to-overthrow-2020-georgia-election/TB2NM7GMZJHHHFGUCRYTLXRTKA/.
- (3) Trump indictment live updates: Georgia grand jury indicts former .... https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-georgia-indictment-rcna98900.
- (4) Georgia grand jury investigating Trump allegations of election .... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-charges-fulton-county-georgia-election-investigation/.
- (5) Georgia grand jury investigating Donald Trump returns 10 indictments .... https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/donald-trump-grand-jury-georgia-indictments.
- (6) Georgia grand jury returns indictments in Trump 2020 election inquiry .... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/14/donald-trump-georgia-indictment-2020-election.
- (7) Jury delivers indictment in Trump Georgia election case: live updates. https://www.npr.org/live-updates/trump-news-indictment-georgia-election.
- (8) Donald Trump indicted in Georgia over 2020 election meddling. https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2023/08/14/donald-trump-indictments-georgia-election-probe/.
- (9) Georgia grand jury indictment: what we know so far in Trump case .... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/15/donald-trump-georgia-grand-jury-indictment-what-for-why-details-case-trial-everything-you-need-to-know.
- (10) Read the full text of the Trump Georgia indictment document. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/08/14/indictment-document-trump-georgia/.
Sure, I'll try to do a deep dive on the Georgia indictment of Donald Trump today. Here are some of the main points I found from the web and news search results:
- - A Georgia grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump today, charging him as part of a sweeping investigation into the effort by him and his allies to overturn the 2020 election in the state¹²³.
- - The indictments remain sealed and presiding Judge Robert McBurney did not disclose the defendants or the specific charges¹⁵.
- - District Attorney Fani Willis first announced her investigation into Trump on February 10, 2021, just over a month after his infamous phone call with Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, during which the then president demanded the state official “find” him the exact number of votes he needed to beat Joe Biden there⁵.
- - The investigation ultimately expanded to include the post-election activities of Trump and his allies in other states, and a scheme by a slate of “fake electors” to keep Trump in office⁵. A special grand jury was impaneled last year that heard testimony from 75 witnesses. The panel recommended indicting more than a dozen people¹.
- - Among the best-known moments in the pressure campaign against Georgia officials was a call in which Trump asked Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state¹⁴. Trump also claimed that not coming up with said votes would be a "criminal offense," warning Raffensperger and the secretary of state’s general counsel, "You can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you"⁵.
- - Trump also placed at least two additional phone calls to Georgia officials in his quest to overturn the election, one to David Ralston, who at the time was Georgia’s House Speaker, and one to Frances Watson, an investigator in Raffensperger’s office⁵. (Trump wanted the former to convene a special legislative session to overturn Biden’s win in Georgia, and pressed the latter to expose “dishonesty” as she looked into absentee mail ballots.)
- - If Trump is a defendant, the Georgia grand jury's indictments would be the fourth time the ex-president would be criminally charged since March, when a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict him over various hush money payments he made prior to the 2016 election. In June, he was indicted by a federal grand jury for willfully retaining national defense information and conspiring to obstruct justice, and weeks later, he was indicted by a separate federal grand jury for attempting to overturn the 2020 election¹. Trump has denied all wrongdoing¹.
Bing, 8/14/2023
- (1) Trump's Georgia indictment has been unsealed. Read the charges brought by Fulton County DA Fani Willis. https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-trump-indictment-unsealed-read-full-text-charges-2023-8.
- (2) Live updates: Donald Trump indicted on 2020 election fraud charges in Georgia. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/14/trump-indictment-live-updates/70187751007/.
- (3) Donald Trump indicted in Georgia over 2020 election meddling. https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2023/08/14/donald-trump-indictments-georgia-election-probe/.
- (4) Georgia Grand Jury Hands Down Indictments in Trump Election Case. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/08/georgia-grand-jury-hands-down-indictments-in-trump-election-case.
- (5) Trump indictment live updates: Georgia grand jury indicts former .... https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-georgia-indictment-rcna98900.