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Donald Trump's legal team has condemned the former president's indictment in Georgia as "shocking and absurd," just hours after he was charged with 13 counts related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.
On Monday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought charges against Trump and 18 other defendants, including his ex-lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former chief-of-staff Mark Meadows. Trump's indictments include solicitation of violation of oath by public officer, filing false documents and multiple conspiracy counts and his alleged violation of Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
In a statement released in response, Trump's legal team suggested the indictment is "flawed and unconstitutional," and argued it was rushed out after what appeared to be details of his charges were earlier uploaded then deleted from the official court website.
They said: "The events that have unfolded today have been shocking and absurd, starting with the leak of a presumed and premature indictment before the witnesses had testified or the grand jurors had deliberated and ending with the District Attorney being unable to offer any explanation.
"In light of this major fumble, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office clearly decided to force through and rush this 98-page indictment. This one-sided grand jury presentation relied on witnesses who harbor their own personal and political interests—some of whom ran campaigns touting their efforts against the accused and/or profited from book deals and employment opportunities as a result.
"We look forward to a detailed review of this indictment which is undoubtedly just as flawed and unconstitutional as this entire process has been."
Newsweek has contacted the Fulton County District Attorney's Office for comment by email.
Willis launched her investigation into alleged efforts to reverse Joe Biden's 2020 election win in Georgia back in February 2021, with former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani telling Newsweek she "may be the most aggressive in pushing the envelope" of all the prosecutors Trump is facing.
Trump is also facing charges relating to claims he orchestrated the payment of hush money to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, intentionally held on to classified documents after leaving the White House, and attempted to block the 2020 election outcome on a national basis. Prior to Trump no former U.S. president had ever been indicted on a criminal charge.
All 19 defendants have been given until noon on 25 August to voluntarily surrender by Willis, who has indicated she intends to try the whole group together.
The most serious crime Trump is accused of, violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Rico) Act, carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted. The Act was introduced to combat organized crime syndicates, by punishing those at the top for criminal activity by associates lower down the food chain.
Polling indicates Trump is by some margin GOP voters preferred 2024 Republican presidential candidate, with the former president enjoying a clear lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and business tycoon Vivek Ramaswamy.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics ... Read more