Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia indictment, won't appear for arraignment
Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 13 felony counts relating to his illicit scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
The Republican, who is continuing to vie for the presidency in 2024 as the party's forerunner, waived arraignment as well, meaning he won't need to appear before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee next week.
The 77-year-old was indicted for the fourth time earlier this month along with 18 of his cronies in a historic 41-count package of charges that outlines a scheme to subvert the will of Georgia's voters, who ultimately elected incumbent President and Democrat Joe Biden instead of the businessman that year.
The historic mugshot taken of former US President Donald Trump became an instant internet meme (FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/A)On August 24, the former president turned himself in and became the first president — current or former — in American history to have a mugshot taken. That image quickly became a viral meme, with hundreds sharing it across all social media platforms. It shows Trump scowling at the camera, looking grim as his body language clearly states that he doesn't believe he's guilty.
The charges he and his cronies incurred were brought forth under the RICO Act, or the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization's Act, which makes it illegal to "acquire or maintain" an "enterprise" via "a pattern of racketeering activity or proceeds derived therefrom," and it includes conspiracies to do so. Racketeering itself is organised effort to commit crimes or force others to do so, especially if those crimes relate to businesses or institutions — like the federal government.
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Trump turned himself in on the 13 felony charges on August 24 and had a historic mugshot taken at the time (AP)A statute normally reserved for mobsters was cited in the 97-page indictment, which refers to Trump and the others as a "criminal organisation," much like an "enterprise" listed under RICO. The document reads: "Trump and other defendents charged in this indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favour of Trump."
Those busted alongside the politician include former New York City Mayor and longtime Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trevian C. Kutti, controversial rapper Kanye West's former publicist.
The 13 felonies the indictment charged Trump with include election fraud, impersonating a public officer, violating an oath of office, forgery, filing false documents and numerous others related to conspiracy, among other charges.
The disgusting Fulton County Jail where Trump turned himself in last week (AP)It took Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis approximately two-and-a-half years to compile the evidence against the former president and his allies. Among the evidence is a damning series of phone calls, which includes one Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in 2021 in which the Republican suggested that Raffensperger could "find 11,780 votes" laying around that would give him the edge over Biden.
Willis is also set to bring forth evidence related to the harassment of local election workers by Trump's cronies, a scheme by him and his allies to create and install a fake slate of electors, a data breach at the Coffee County election's office and multiple false ballot fraud claims.
The historic trial is set to occur on March 4, 2024 — a mere eight months before the presidential election.
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