The latest criminal case against former US President Donald Trump is based on a law aimed at organized crime.
Atlanta – Fani Willis has taken tough action against Donald Trump. In a 13-count brief, the prosecutor from Atlanta, Georgia, accused the former US President of trying to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the southern US state. The African-American lawyer also referred to a law that was originally designed to combat organized crime.
Willis charges the poll-leading Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election not only with felonies such as conspiracy to falsify, conspiracy to false testimony, and incitement to violate an oath of office, but also violations of an oath of office identified as “RICO” (Racketeer Iinfluenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – Act on Criminal Activities and Corrupt Organizations) well-known law. It is aimed at organized crime, such as criminal gangs. The law provides for prison sentences of up to 20 years. Willis has used it repeatedly in her prosecuting career, including against well-known Atlanta rapper Young Thug.
Trump could be part of a criminal organization
A criminal offense under the RICO Act is particularly sensitive because it enables the prosecution to take action against several defendants at the same time as part of a criminal organization. Thus, the indictment involves not only Donald Trump himself, but also former high-profile associates, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Sidney Powell, another attorney.
RICO in the state of Georgia is a variant of the state RICO statute, the anti-mafia statute of 1970. In short, both statutes prohibit anyone from being part of an organization that commits crimes. The indictment accuses Trump, Giuliani, Meadows, Eastman, Powell and others of forming such an “ad hoc criminal organization” after Trump’s election defeat, which for a time served a single purpose: attempting to secure Trump’s victory in Securing Georgia by illegal means.
Not only Trump: Public prosecutors have already used the RICO law several times
Georgia’s application of RICO law is DA Willis’ trademark. Before she was elected chief prosecutor for Fulton County in early 2021, Willis indicted an organized crime count against 12 Atlanta public school teachers. Educators have been accused of falsifying their students’ scores on standardized tests to improve their schools’ reputation. At the time, Willis argued that the teachers had violated Georgia’s RICO law by using the school system, a “legitimate entity,” for fraud. Eleven teachers were subsequently convicted.
Trump’s attorneys reprimanded prosecutors for allegedly relying on politically biased witnesses in the grand jury trial. And because she had already published a document detailing the case against Trump on Monday (August 14), even before the indictment was officially announced.
“The events that took place today were shocking and preposterous,” attorneys Drew Findling, Jennifer Little and Marissa Goldberg wrote in a statement. “We look forward to a detailed review of this indictment, which is undoubtedly as flawed and unconstitutional as this entire trial.”
But Fani Willis remains firm. The prosecutor said Monday night that Donald Trump and the rest of the defendants now have until August 25 to speak out on the indictment — in person at the scene. (skr)
#Trump #trip #mafia #law