Former President Donald Trump and several of his associates could soon face criminal charges in Georgia for their roles in trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the state, according to a report by Rolling Stone.
The report, published on Monday, cites sources close to Trump’s legal team who say that Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis is likely to indict not only Trump, but also some of his lawyers and allies who were involved in the scheme. The potential indictment could include charges of racketeering, conspiracy, solicitation of election fraud, and false statements.
“They’re coming for everyone. It’s not just Trump. They’re coming for everyone who was involved in this,” one source told Rolling Stone.
Some of the possible targets of the indictment are Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer who led the legal challenges to the election results; John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who drafted a memo outlining how Vice President Mike Pence could reject the electoral votes; Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer who participated in a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff who pressured Georgia officials to investigate voter fraud allegations; and Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official who reportedly plotted with Trump to oust the acting attorney general and force Georgia to overturn its results.
Willis has been gathering evidence from witnesses, documents, phone calls, and text messages for months, and is expected to present her case to a grand jury as soon as next week, according to the report. She has also hired several outside lawyers and experts to assist her in the investigation.
Willis launched the probe in February, after a recording of Trump’s call with Raffensperger was leaked to the media. In the call, Trump asked Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in Georgia, and threatened him with legal consequences if he did not comply.
“The president was calling officials, trying to get them to do what they can’t do. He was asking them to find votes,” Willis said in an interview with MSNBC at the time.
Trump and his allies have denied any wrongdoing and have dismissed the probe as a political witch hunt. They have also challenged the legality and constitutionality of Willis’ investigation.
“We have no reason to believe that President Trump is a target of any investigation whatsoever,” Trump’s spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement on Monday.
“I think it’s a very dangerous thing for democracy when you start using the criminal process to go after your political enemies,” Eastman said in an interview with The Washington Post in June.
Georgia is not the only state where Trump faces legal troubles. He is also under investigation in New York for his business dealings and tax affairs, and in Washington DC for his role in inciting the January 6 Capitol riot. He is also facing several civil lawsuits from women who accuse him of sexual misconduct.
Meanwhile, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office said that it has been cooperating fully with Willis’ probe and that it welcomes any accountability for those who tried to undermine the integrity of the election.
“We have been in close contact with the district attorney’s office and we are cooperating fully with their requests for information,” Raffensperger’s office said in a statement on Monday.
Relevant articles:
– Trump’s Allies Prepare for Indictments in Georgia Probe: ‘They’re Coming for Everyone’, Rolling Stone, August 9, 2023
– Georgia courthouse ramps up security ahead of potential 4th Trump indictment, Fox News, August 8, 2023
– Georgia on his mind: Trump faces 1 more likely indictment soon for a total of 4 criminal cases, MSN, August 4, 2023
– Fulton County district attorney is likely to present her case against Trump to grand jury next week, CNN, August 8, 2023