Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is set to present her findings from the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election to a grand jury next week. This comes as two witnesses who were subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury stated that they have not received notices to appear within the next 48 hours, indicating that the case will likely be presented to the jury next week, according to The New York Times.
The anticipation over Willis’ decision has caused heightened security measures at the Atlanta courthouse, which was locked down on Monday in preparation for the potential indictment of Trump. Reports suggest that Willis is prepared to indict Trump, with Fulton County prosecutors reportedly preparing racketeering charges against him for his actions related to the 2020 election in Georgia.
Willis based her investigation on a phone call between Trump and Georgia officials, which was later leaked to the Washington Post. However, critics have pointed out that the call was doctored, and the published text by the Post was fraudulent. This has led to doubts about the validity of the charges brought against Trump.
The charges are expected to include statutes related to “influencing witnesses and computer trespass,” as the racketeering statute in Georgia requires prosecutors to demonstrate a pattern of activity on at least two qualifying crimes. While the exact evidence is unclear, the computer trespass charge is believed to be connected to efforts to access and examine Dominion Voting Systems machines in Coffee County. The influencing witness charge may be related to Trump’s phone call with Brad Raffensperger.
It is worth noting that Coffee County falls outside of Willis’ jurisdiction, but the racketeering statute allows her to cast a wider net when pursuing charges. Trump has expressed his frustration with Willis, calling her a “young racist” during a recent rally in New Hampshire. He accused her of pursuing an indictment in order to further her own political aspirations and referred to her personal problems.
This will mark the fourth time that Trump has been indicted, as he has already faced federal counts from Special Counsel Jack Smith in the classified documents case and charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg related to a hush payment to Stormy Daniels.
As the case moves forward, the grand jury will have the responsibility to review the evidence presented by Willis and determine whether there is sufficient cause to proceed with a trial. This development comes amid ongoing political divisions and controversies surrounding the 2020 election, as both sides continue to dispute the results and individuals face legal consequences for their actions during that time.
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