ATLANTA — A Fulton County grand jury indicted Former President Donald Trump on charges that he criminally interfered in Georgia's 2020 election, setting the stage for a lengthy legal fight under the state's wide-reaching racketeering statute.
The 98-page, 41-count indictment was disclosed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis Monday evening charging Trump and 18 co-conspirators.
Court records show Trump faces 13 counts in Fulton County, including violation of Georgia's RICO statute. Multiple others, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, are also charged, the indictment's cover page shows.
Read the Full Criminal Indictment:
Trump's 13 charges include:
- Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
- Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
- Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree (2 counts)
- Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (2 counts)
- Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
- Filing false documents
- Solicitation of violations of oath by public officer (3 counts)
- False statements and writings (2 counts)
Trump's charges stem from his alleged efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results — one part in a larger scheme to keep his hold on the presidency.
In addition to the 19 named defendants, there are 30 unindicted co-conspirators who were not identified in court documents.
This is the first time a former president has faced criminal charges in Georgia, and the indictment comes roughly three years after Trump's nearly 12,000 vote loss to Democrat Joe Biden here.
Willis said in a news conference Monday night that those indicted have until Aug. 25 at noon to surrender themselves. She will push for a trial date to be set within six months.
How did we get here?
Willis began investigating the matter shortly after the infamous January 2021 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where the former president referenced "finding" the ballots needed to undo Biden's win.
The probe quickly expanded to include the alleged copying of election data in a south Georgia county, a scheme to have Trump supporters pose as presidential electors, the resignation of a U.S. Attorney, and a sweeping pressure campaign that targeted the state's top elected officials.
After a year of handling it on her own, Fulton County Superior Court Judges granted Willis' request to convene a special purpose grand jury. The panel lacked the authority to indict, but it could compel the testimony of reluctant witnesses and issue a final report with charging recommendations.
The jury began its work in May 2022. Legal fights to avoid testimony went through various courtrooms across the country. Only a select few were spared from appearing.
The jurors heard from 75 witnesses, ranging from Atlanta election workers to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. It completed its work in January.
While much of the report still remains a secret, jurors unanimously found that no widespread fraud took place in Georgia during the 2020 election that could have overturned the outcome. That panel also believed that at least one witness lied during their testimony.
Special purpose grand jury foreperson Emily Korhs offered NBC News, the Associated Press, CNN and other media outlets the most in-depth look at the jury's work in interviews in early 2023. The final report recommended indictments for more than a dozen people, she said.
Kohrs also hinted that charges were recommended against certain well-known people. She gave cryptic answers when asked if former President Donald Trump was on that list.
“I don't think that there are any giant plot twists coming," Kohrs told NBC News.
In the seven months that followed the jury's dissolution, Willis and her office worked to make deals with potential defendants to strengthen their case.
At least half of the Republicans who cast false Electoral College ballots accepted immunity deals, according to Fulton County court records. It's unclear who else among Trump's allies took a deal.
The Georgia indictment adds to the former president's mounting legal troubles.
Trump was indicted in New York on charges of falsifying business records. Federal prosecutors charged Trump in June over his handling of classified documents in June.
Special Counsel Jack Smith charged Trump again on Aug. 1 for alleged crimes tied to the election and the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.