The Fourth Indictment of Trump: "Report to be Released on the 21st... Complete Immunity Possible"

Former President Donald Trump, who was additionally indicted on charges of exerting pressure to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state of Georgia, has announced that he will release a related report next week. He also claimed that once this report is made public, all individuals indicted this time, including himself, will be 'completely exonerated.' Trump, a leading Republican candidate for the next presidential election, has faced judicial risks after being indicted four times since leaving office.

On the 15th (local time), the day after the indictment, Trump announced via his social networking service (SNS) Truth Social that "a large, complex, detailed, and irrefutable report on the election fraud that occurred in Georgia is nearly complete," and that it will be released at a press conference on the 21st at Bedminster, New Jersey (a golf resort owned by Trump).

The previous day, the Fulton County grand jury in Georgia decided to indict Trump regarding allegations of election interference. This announcement is a prelude to an official rebuttal. He stated, "Based on the results of this final report, all charges against me and others should be dismissed," and claimed, "We will be completely acquitted." In another post, he reiterated that this indictment decision is a "witch hunt."

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The previously released 98-page indictment detailed 41 charges committed by a total of 19 people, including former President Trump, and mentioned 30 unindicted co-conspirators. Notably, this indictment drew attention for applying the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, originally created to punish organized crime such as the mafia. Trump faces 13 felony charges including violations of the RICO Act, forgery, extortion, false statements, and submission of false documents. The RICO Act, first enacted in 1970 to combat the mafia, allows for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The indictment states that Trump and other defendants "deliberately and systematically engaged in a conspiracy to illegally alter the election results in favor of Trump" after losing the election. Specifically, it includes 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.

During the 2020 election, Trump lost the battleground state of Georgia by approximately 11,779 votes (0.23 percentage points) to then-candidate Biden. He is accused of pressuring Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Secretary of State, in early January 2021 by calling him and demanding, "Conduct a recount. Find 11,080 votes to overturn the election results." 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.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Locally, attention is focused on the fact that District Attorney Willis led the indictment process by emphasizing violations of the RICO Act to combat organized crime. The New York Times (NYT) described, "Georgia's RICO law allows prosecutors to group together 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."

Trump was first indicted by the New York prosecutor in April on charges related to hush money payments and falsification of accounting documents concerning an alleged sexual scandal with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. In June, he was indicted by federal prosecutors for illegally removing and storing classified documents, becoming the first current or former U.S. president to face such charges. Earlier this month, he was indicted in Washington D.C. on charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, election interference, voter intimidation, and fraud. Among the four indictments since leaving office, two relate to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. It is analyzed that the indictments by the New York District Attorney and Fulton County, Georgia, will make it difficult for Trump to issue a 'self-pardon' even if he wins re-election. In Georgia, the pardon authority lies with a state board rather than the governor, and that authority is limited, Bloomberg News noted. Under the U.S. Constitution, being indicted or convicted does not prohibit a person from running for president.

Previous indictments have actually worked as a boon for Trump by consolidating conservative votes. Therefore, the two additional indictments this month may also lead to a rallying effect among his supporters. Recent polls show that Trump overwhelmingly leads his Republican presidential rivals, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Trump himself is framing the indictments as political persecution by the Joe Biden administration and is working to consolidate his support base.

However, as the judicial risks surrounding Trump continue, it is inevitable that there will be negative impacts 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 expected that he may find it difficult to gain support from moderate and independent voters within the Republican Party.

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