Georgia prosecutors consider conspiracy and racketeering charges in Trump-related inquiry: Report

Prosecutors in the Atlanta area are reportedly considering conspiracy and racketeering charges in the inquiry into attempts to overturn the 2020 election, according to CNN. The special grand jury recommended multiple indictments, and a decision regarding those recommendations is expected from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis by springtime.

“The reason that I am a fan of RICO is, I think jurors are very, very intelligent,” Willis said over the summer. “They want to know what happened. They want to make an accurate decision about someone’s life. And so RICO is a tool that allows a prosecutor’s office and law enforcement to tell the whole story.”

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is typically used against gang activity and usually involves charges against multiple defendants. Once a decision is reached, Willis is expected to bring the charges before one of the regularly seated grand juries. Two grand juries were impaneled earlier this month, and another set will be established in May.

Investigators have gathered a wealth of evidence, including emails, text messages, testimony, phone calls, and more. The special grand jury, which was picked in May 2022, has called upon some 75 witnesses, including some individuals who were close to Trump, such as Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Many of the transcripts from those testimonies could even become public. The special grand jury concluded its work in January, and some of the jurors have spoken to the media since.

Willis began the inquiry after the release of a recording of a phone call in which Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes, enough to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and claimed the call with Raffensperger was “perfect.” However, investigators have at least three recordings of Trump pressuring Georgia officials about the election, including one in which he urged Georgia House Speaker David Ralston to convene a special session to overturn the election results, which went unfulfilled. The investigation extended beyond Trump and involved the actions of some of his allies, including Giuliani.

Trump’s legal team has expressed confidence that the former president will be cleared of any charges. However, he faces possible charges from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Additionally, he is under investigation by special counsel Jack Smith over the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021 and for allegedly mishandling classified documents.

“We can assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump,” Trump’s lawyers said in a statement in January, noting that he was not subpoenaed.