Trump indictment: Ex-president condemns Georgia charges as 'witch hunt' - BBC News
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James FitzGerald made revisions to the blog section.
The mentioned time periods are based on the United Kingdom time zone.
Trump's Court Appearance: When Is It?
The brief response is that we cannot determine the exact time.
However, he and the rest of the accused have been provided with the chance to surrender willingly by Friday, 25 August, at 12:00 local time.
If you've just become aware of the latest developments, Donald Trump is facing legal accusations for the fourth consecutive time within the span of a few months.
This newest accusation concerns his purported efforts to invalidate the outcome of the 2020 presidential race in the significant state of Georgia. Here's a quick overview of what we are currently aware of:
Giuliani: Charges = 'Next Chapter Of Lies'
We've just received feedback from another prominent figure implicated in this lawsuit - Rudy Giuliani.
In a declaration to the US partner of BBC, CBS News, the ex-mayor of New York and previous legal representative for Trump expresses that the accusations are an insult to the democratic values of America.
He continues to mention that the charges cause irreversible damage to the legal system, referring to them as "simply a new episode in a series of deceitful acts" intended to falsely accuse Trump and others who are brave enough to challenge the current governing power.
The true culprits in this scenario are the individuals who have initiated this case, whether directly or indirectly.
Prosecutor Analyzes Indictment
District attorney Fani Willis conducted a media briefing just prior to 12 a.m. in the vicinity on Tuesday.
She stated that every person charged plotted together to achieve the unlawful objective of enabling Donald J Trump to acquire the presidential tenure.
Trump Calls Indictments A 'witch Hunt'
We have just received a response from the ex-president within the past few moments.
In a blog post shared on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump denounces an unjust and relentless campaign against him, likening it to a witch hunt.
He brings to notice a paper that supposedly surfaced on the Fulton County court's webpage earlier today, containing accusations against Trump before the charges were officially declared.
Trump asks: "What's the deal with those indictment papers that were published today, way before the grand jury even made a decision, and then rapidly retracted? It seems fixed to me!"
He seems to be implying that the accusations against him have a political agenda behind them. He further states, "Why didn't they press charges two and a half years ago? It's because they intentionally chose to do it at the height of my political campaign."
Trump Team's Lawyers, Advisers, And Officials Indicted
Trump is at the forefront of a lengthy roster of individuals who are named as co-defendants in this lawsuit.
Other prominent collaborators mentioned include ex-mayor of New York City (and legal advisor to Trump), Rudy Giuliani, who was accused of fabricating false information while testifying to Georgia legislators regarding election fraud that never occurred. Giuliani faced charges of making untrue statements alongside other allegations.
Another prominent figure is John Eastman, a fellow attorney representing Trump and the mastermind behind the ex-president's legal defense aimed at maintaining his position of authority.
Those claims were consistently refuted in various courtrooms and the majority of legal professionals concur that they lacked any substance.
We are also witnessing the inclusion of Mark Meadows, the previous chief of staff for Trump, in this indictment.
Jeffrey Clark, a former member of the justice department, is alleged to have aided Trump in his efforts to retain his position of authority.
Trump Charges And More: Rico And Others
Donald Trump faced a total of 13 charges in the recent indictment, while a total of 41 charges were filed.
The highest number recorded was a suspected breach of Georgia's Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Rico).
The effective legislation passed in 1970 originally aimed at combating organized crime, but over time, it has also been utilized to bring charges against various other illegal activities, such as corporate fraud and governmental misconduct.
Rico grants legislators the authority to gather a variety of separate actions executed by various individuals under one category, on the condition that they appear to serve a shared goal.
Trump is also confronted with additional accusations such as requesting a breach of trust from a government official, plotting to act as a government official under false pretenses, conspiring to commit fraudulent document creation, conspiring to issue untruthful statements, and writing and plotting to submit deceitful records.
Trump Lawyers Shocked By Absurd Turn Of Events
The lawyers of Trump have issued a statement deeming the occurrences on Monday as "startling and nonsensical".
According to attorneys Drew Findling, Jennifer Little, and Marissa Goldberg, the indictment brought forth by the Fulton Country District Attorney's Office was forcefully and hastily pushed through. Moreover, they assert that the prosecution relied on witnesses who possess their own personal and political motives.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed on X (previously Twitter) that Fani Willis is imitating Joe Biden by utilizing the government as a tool to target political factions.
Meanwhile, the Democrats criticized the ex-president of the United States.
Senate leader Charles Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed in a release that Trump's fourth charge illustrates a consistent trend of unlawful behavior.
"The measures initiated by the Fulton County District Attorney, alongside other legal representatives at the state and national levels, confirms the common conviction that nobody, including the president, is exempt from the law in America," they expressed.
What Are The Fees?
The indictment labels the accused individuals as a "group involved in illegal activities" and charges them with various offenses, comprising:
The gravest accusation, breaking the Rico Act, which is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, carries a penalty of up to two decades behind bars.
Willis: 19 Defendants To Be Tried Jointly
Fani Willis has recently been questioned about her intentions regarding the joint trial of all 19 defendants mentioned in the indictment. In response, she affirms her decision to proceed with a unified trial.
Additionally, she is inquired about a report comprising allegations against Trump that supposedly surfaced on the county's online platform earlier today and swiftly vanished, prior to an official criminal charge being issued.
Willis claims she is unable to provide any input regarding that issue.
I can inform you that we had a panel of jurors in Fulton County who engaged in thorough discussions until almost eight o'clock," she stated.
Immediately after eight o'clock, a formal accusation was handed down.
Who Else Faces Indictment?
The roster of 18 accused individuals, aside from Trump, to mention a few, comprises:
According to the charges, the accused collaborators willingly and intentionally participated in a plot to illegally manipulate the election results in Trump's favor.
Defendants' Surrender Date Revealed By Willis
Fani Willis, the District Attorney of Fulton County, has announced that she is granting defendants the chance to surrender willingly before Friday 25th August, by 12:00 PM local time.
She is currently fielding some inquiries from journalists "before retiring for the night". It's nearly midnight in Atlanta.
Defendants Aided Trump's 'seize' Bid, Says Willis
Each person named in the legal document is being accused of breaching Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) Act as they supposedly took part in "the unlawful endeavor to enable Donald J Trump to obtain the position of President", as stated by Willis.
She stated that according to the indictment, instead of following Georgia's established legal procedure for election disputes, the accused individuals participated in an illegal and organized scheme with the intention of overturning the results of Georgia's presidential election.
Fani Willis Simplifies The Charges
Fani Willis, the District Attorney of Fulton County, has just entered the premises. She is accompanied by a group of additional prosecutors who are part of the investigation concerning Trump.
She stated that today the grand jury has issued an indictment "accusing 19 individuals of breaching Georgia's legal statutes due to their involvement in a plot to manipulate the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in this region."
She strongly emphasized that all individuals named in the indictment are presumed to be innocent.
Fani Willis From Georgia To Speak Soon
I'm currently situated at a government building in Fulton County, Georgia, situated conveniently across from the courthouse. I am patiently anticipating the moment District Attorney Fani Willis will share her thoughts and comments.
She will be addressing the public for the first time after we discovered that Trump and 18 additional individuals were accused in a comprehensive indictment consisting of 41 charges.
The allegations were dismissed shortly before midnight.
The ex-President of the United States, Donald Trump, is being accused of trying to reverse his defeat in the 2020 elections specifically in the state of Georgia.
He, along with 18 additional individuals, has been charged with various offenses, including racketeering, in a comprehensive 41-count indictment presented by a grand jury in Fulton County.
This accusation signifies the fourth occasion when Trump has faced criminal charges in the present year.
He has refuted the allegations in every instance.
Our journalists are eagerly anticipating a media briefing in Fulton County, Georgia. We will update you with the most recent information as soon as we receive it.
Coming Back With Updates On Charges Soon
We will temporarily halt this webpage as we anticipate further updates from Atlanta.
For now, here's a brief summary of what happened today:
Our journalists Kayla Epstein and Madeline Halpert are currently at the court in Atlanta, eagerly awaiting additional information. Rest assured, we will provide an update as soon as more details emerge. This page was revamped by Marianna Brady and Brandon Livesay, in collaboration with Sam Cabral and Mike Wendling.
An Unusual Sight Today
This is the most intimate glimpse we've been granted into any of Donald Trump's legal proceedings.
Just a couple of hours ago, donning an eye-catching orange gown and escorted by authorities, Court Clerk Che Alexander strode purposefully towards her destination to handle legal documents.
Cameras captured the upper portion of that documentation, affirming Alexander's statement. According to the paperwork, there were 10 accusations submitted to the court.
Cameras have been permitted for the very first instance to record the events in a legal matter connected to the ex-president.
The three court hearings President Trump attended earlier this year were not broadcasted as federal criminal cases cannot be filmed, and cameras were not allowed in the New York trial.
It remains uncertain if Trump will be permitted to have cameras during his future attendance in this Georgia lawsuit, which is being held at the state level, or during his subsequent court proceedings.
Trump and his cohorts are anticipated to be confronted with accusations concerning purported efforts to invalidate the outcomes of the 2020 election.
The situation at hand, although we are eagerly awaiting additional information, is expected to revolve around allegations that he exerted influence on regional politicians to invalidate valid votes.
Trump Campaign Statement Released
While we anticipate discovering the precise allegations that will be leveled against Donald Trump, his campaign has issued a statement during the late hours.
It refers to Fani Willis, the district attorney, as an excessively biased individual and stated that the charges against the ex-president are completely unfounded.
According to the assertion, Willis has purposely delayed her inquiry in an attempt to disrupt the upcoming 2024 presidential race and harm the prevailing Trump campaign.
Discover more about Fani Willis by clicking on this article.
Video: Numerous Criminal Charges Filed In Court
When Court Clerk Che Alexander agrees to receive a pile of papers that might contain the charges against the ex-president.
