Trump Reacts to Fourth Indictment Over Georgia Election Interference... "Witch Hunt" Backlash (Comprehensive)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been indicted on allegations of exerting extensive pressure to overturn the voting results in Georgia during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This marks his fourth indictment. Notably, this indictment applies the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, originally created to punish organized crime such as the mafia, drawing significant attention. Former President Trump has pushed back, calling it "fabrication" and a "witch hunt" aimed at preventing his victory in the upcoming 2024 election.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Fani Willis, District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to CNN and others on the 15th (local time), the grand jury of Fulton County, Georgia, decided the indictment the day before regarding allegations of Trump's interference in the election. The 98-page indictment details 41 charges committed by a total of 19 individuals, including former President Trump, and mentions 30 unindicted co-conspirators. Among these, Trump faces 13 felony charges including violations of the RICO Act, forgery, extortion, false statements, and submission of false documents. The RICO Act, created in 1970 to combat the mafia, carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The complaint includes allegations that former President Trump and other defendants, after losing the election, "deliberately and systematically engaged in a conspiracy to illegally alter the election results in favor of former President Trump." Specifically, it states that there was a joint plan and purpose to commit two or more acts of extortion in Fulton County, Georgia, other parts of Georgia, and other states such as Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Former President Trump, after losing the 2020 election in the battleground state of Georgia by approximately 11,779 votes (0.23 percentage points) to then-candidate Biden, is accused of pressuring Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Secretary of State, in early January 2021 by phone to "conduct a recount and find 11,080 votes to overturn the election results." The recording of this call was previously released to the media, and investigations had already begun. Among the 18 others indicted alongside Trump are former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Trump's lawyers John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis stated that they could voluntarily plead guilty by noon on August 25. She also expressed confidence in proving guilt against Trump and others in front of reporters.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

This marks the fourth indictment against former President Trump since leaving office. Two of these relate to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. In April, he was first indicted by the New York prosecutor for paying hush money and falsifying accounting documents related to a sexual scandal with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. In June, he was indicted by federal prosecutors for the first time among current and former U.S. presidents for illegally removing and storing classified documents. Earlier this month, he was indicted in Washington D.C. on charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, election interference, voter suppression, and fraud.

Locally, attention is focused on the fact that District Attorney Willis led the indictment process by emphasizing violations of the RICO Act aimed at dismantling organized crime. The New York Times (NYT) noted, "Georgia's RICO law allows prosecutors to bundle seemingly unrelated crimes committed by multiple people if they support a common purpose," calling it a "powerful law enforcement tool." Michael Myers, a professor at the John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, Georgia, said, "It's a gold mine for prosecutors and a nightmare for lawyers."

Moreover, unlike the two federal indictments, the indictments by the New York prosecutor and Fulton County, Georgia, are analyzed to make it difficult for former President Trump to grant himself a 'self-pardon' even if he wins re-election. Bloomberg News pointed out that in Georgia, the pardon authority lies with a state board rather than the governor, and that authority is limited. Under the U.S. Constitution, being indicted or convicted does not prohibit a person from running for president.

There is also speculation that the trial resulting from this fourth indictment could be televised for the first time. Georgia allows camera filming during trials if approved by the judge. Except in cases where victims or witnesses are minors, filming is generally permitted.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Former President Trump, indicted four times, maintains his innocence on all charges. On this day as well, he continued to claim it was a "witch hunt." On his social networking service Truth Social in the morning, he stated, "The witch hunt continues," adding, "It seems fabricated. Why wasn't I indicted on these charges two and a half years ago? Wasn't this supposed to happen in the middle of my political campaign?" Trump's legal team issued a statement calling the indictment "shocking and absurd," and "undoubtedly flawed and unconstitutional."

Previous indictments have instead acted as a boon for Trump by consolidating conservative votes. Accordingly, the two additional indictments added this month are also expected to potentially strengthen his support base. Recent polls show that as a Republican presidential candidate, Trump overwhelmingly leads competitors such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. However, ongoing legal risks surrounding Trump are expected to inevitably have a negative impact on his presidential campaign. A significant portion of political donations, which should be used for campaign activities, is already being spent on legal fees, and it is anticipated that it may become difficult to gain support from moderate and independent voters within the Republican Party.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.