Former President Donald Trump faces potential criminal charges following a grand jury indictment in Georgia related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The indictment, handed up on Monday, has not yet been made public, and it is unclear whether the charges directly involve Trump. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought the case, which could further complicate Trump’s legal situation as he remains a frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
The grand jury returned 10 indictments, as shown by a cover sheet that was photographed but did not reveal the names of those indicted or the specific charges filed. The Fulton County Court clerk, Che Alexander, stated that it could take up to three hours to process the indictments after they were accepted by Judge Robert McBurney.
Earlier on Monday, the court briefly posted a document on its website that listed several felony charges against Trump but swiftly removed it without explanation. At that time, Willis’s office stated that no charges had been filed and declined further comment. Willis has been investigating Trump’s efforts to pressure state leaders into reversing his loss to Joe Biden and organizing an illegitimate slate of electors. She has also examined attempts by Trump’s allies to manipulate voting equipment.
Willis has suggested that she may use racketeering laws typically used against organized crime organizations to bring charges against Trump’s allies involved in his election reversal efforts. The investigation has included interviews with 75 witnesses, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted efforts to change the election outcome.
The case centers around a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn his narrow loss. Raffensperger declined to do so. Four days later, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory. Georgia has become one of the few politically competitive states that can impact presidential elections.
Despite facing multiple legal challenges and investigations, Trump’s political prospects have not been significantly impacted. In fact, his lead over Republican rivals has grown in recent months, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. Trump, 77, has consistently dismissed the investigations as politically motivated “witch hunts” and denied any wrongdoing.