Trump Anticipated to Face RICO Charges in Georgia
Legal experts and lawyers in Georgia are expecting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to bring state racketeering charges against former President Donald Trump. According to The Wall Street Journal, Willis has successfully prosecuted similar cases under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). This law allows prosecutors to charge individuals for crimes committed by a group, as long as it can be shown that the organization is involved. Charging Trump under the state RICO Act would also prevent him from being pardoned by a president. Atlanta-based defense attorney Andrew Fleischman states that RICO charges give prosecutors more options for venue and can lead to lengthy trials that wear down defense attorneys.
The indictment is expected to be handed down within the next two weeks, and it would be the fourth indictment against Trump but the first to charge him with racketeering. Similar to the recent federal charges in Washington, D.C., the Georgia indictment will focus on allegations that Trump attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. One key piece of evidence is Trump’s phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked him to “find 11,780 votes.”
Willis has previously expressed support for RICO charges, highlighting its effectiveness in allowing prosecutors to tell the full story to jurors. However, she has kept details of the investigation and her charging intentions under wraps.
