Tue, 15 Aug 2023 18:01:22 EDT
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Former president Donald Trump has been indicted for the fourth time. His most recent indictment involves alleged attempts to overturn 2020 presidential results in Georgia. If he is convicted, receiving a pardon will be a difficult task, even if he is elected president.
A president’s ability to pardon only applies to federal crime, and does not apply at a state level. Therefore, even if Trump is elected president, he will not have the power to pardon himself.
The power to pardon in Georgia does not fall to the governor, but rather a five-member board. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles is made up of five members who serve seven year terms. Felons who are seeking pardon by the board must serve their sentence for five years before doing so.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:30:19 EDT
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Former President Donald Trump is calling for his multiple federal and state trials to take place after the 2024 presidential election.
“All of these Biden Administration bogus trials and cases, including the locals, should be brought after the 2024 Presidential Election. What they have done is already Election Interference, but if the trials are held before the Election, then it would be Interference on a scale never seen in our Country before,” he wrote on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.
Trump has been indicted four times this year, including twice in federal court, as well as courts in New York City and Atlanta.
Critics of the indictments have questioned whether Trump would be given a fair shot at running a successful presidential campaign because of the numerous court appearances he will likely have to make as the campaign cycle progresses.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:13:43 EDT
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Former President Donald Trump has been indicted for the fourth time this year, with 13 charges against him for alleged efforts to overturn election results in the state of Georgia during the 2020 presidential election.
There are 18 others who have been indicted alongside Trump. Now that the indictment has happened, the next step of the process will be an arraignment.
During an arraignment, the federal criminal defendants appear in court. While in court, the charges are read and the defendant is asked to enter a “guilty” or “not guilty” plea.
After an arraignment, there are several steps that come before a trial.
The prosecution and defense will come together and discuss the evidence and witnesses that will be involved in the case. Before a trial occurs, a plea bargain is discussed, where a defendant can plead guilty to a lesser charge. If there is no plea bargain reached, this is when a case will move to trial.
During a trial, a jury will be selected, witnesses and evidence will be displayed from both sides and eventually a verdict will be reached. If the defendant is found guilty, then sentencing will occur.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:26:44 EDT
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The Fulton County, Georgia Clerk’s Office is offering a new explanation for the supposed “fictitious” indictment posted on the court’s website before the grand jury voted Monday to hand up an indictment for former President Trump and 18 others.
On Monday afternoon, the Fulton County Court’s website posted a document listing the same charges included in the indictment released late Monday night, which included charges of violating the Georgia RICO Act—the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act; Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents and more.
Reuters first reported on the document, before the Fulton County Court quickly removed it from the website, and released a statement, blasting the document as “fictitious” and issuing a warning to the media “that documents that do not bear an official case number, filing date, and the name of The Clerk of Courts, in concert, are not considered official filings and should not be treated as such.”
The indictment was handed up and unsealed Monday night, bearing the same charges as listed on the alleged “fictitious” document, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was asked for an explanation.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:00:20 EDT
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On “America’s Newsroom” on Tuesday, Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley argued former President Trump’s latest indictment is “excessive” and “dangerous,” but it also should be taken “seriously” by the former president’s team given the nature of the charges.
Trump faced his fourth indictment Monday evening after a Georgia grand jury announced charges relating to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
“It’s excessive and I think it’s also dangerous. It essentially criminalizes challenges to elections,” Turley said. “There’s no sort of limiting principle in this document. They are charging things like the president saying publicly, we need to have a recount.”
“Democrats and Republicans challenge these elections routinely. I’ve covered elections for various networks. I don’t know how many now, but we often, if not always, have these challenges. Some are more supportive than others, but they’re not crimes,” he added.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:32:50 EDT
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Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich shared Tuesday what she thought the impact of former President Donald Trump’s four indictments could have on his 2024 campaign for the White House.
“It’s obviously very overwhelming, which a lot of people would say is the point, to bog him down so much with these legal issues that he would drop out of the race,” Pavlich said when asked how Trump would balance campaigning with his need to be in court.
“It really does become, not just for the primary, but also the general election, an issue of resource management, whether that’s with money, time, energy, personnel, attorneys. And all of this money that’s having to go pay attorneys is money that’s not going to be spent in the primary, but more importantly not spent against President Joe Biden,” she added.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:00:24 EDT
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Former President Trump’s campaign set its sights on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following his indictment on Monday night, saying her family is “steeped in hate” while drawing attention to her father’s Black Panther ties.
After the charges came down, Trump’s campaign emailed supporters regarding the Georgia prosecutor. The message included quotes from a 2021 Time Magazine article and the Fulton County government website.
The campaign wrote that Willis comes from a “family steeped in hate” and is the “daughter of a former Black Panther” before referencing the Time Magazine piece.
“The daughter of a former Black Panther who recently retired as a criminal defense lawyer, the Inglewood, Calif.-born Willis would go along when her father went to court on Saturday mornings,” the quoted Time article reads.
“The judge who oversaw the Saturday courtroom, an older white man, was, according to Willis, known to be mean. But each week, he had Willis, too young to stay home alone or to hear the details her father needed to discuss with clients, sit next to him on the elevated dais, the two whispering back and forth,” the article continued. “One day, Willis’ father asked her what on earth they talked about.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:31:07 EDT
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During his Tuesday “My Take” segment on Fox Business’ “Varney & Co.” host Stuart Varney reacted to Trump’s Georgia indictment right in the middle of his campaign, arguing the leading Republican candidate deserves a fair trial, but it will be difficult for him to campaign effectively if he’s sitting in a courtroom.
“On February 3rd, 2021 a tape emerged of Donald Trump demanding Georgia’s Secretary of State ‘find 11,780 votes.’ That was the precise number needed to change the state’s election results to a win for Trump,” Varney said.
“This sets up an extraordinary situation. It’s a clash between the political calendar of the campaign and the court calendar,” he said. “Is it fair to pile up court dates so the leading GOP candidate can’t effectively campaign? Trump trials are scheduled for January, March, and May next year.”
Varney argued that Trump should get “fair trials,” but at the same time Americans should get “fair elections.”
He added that the trial would likely be televised and become a “circus.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:02:35 EDT
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Former president Donald Trump has been indicted four times in 2023. He is the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted on criminal charges.
In March, Trump was charged from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into hush-money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign. During this particular investigation, Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts.
In June, Trump was indicted on charges at a federal level for the first time. Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump from a classified records investigation at his Mar-a-Lago home. Trump was accused of 37 felony charges, all of which Trump pleaded not guilty to.
In July, Trump was charged with three additional counts involving Smith’s investigation. Waltine Nauta, Trump’s aide and valet, and Carlos de Oliveria, his Mar-a Lago property manager, were also charged.
Smith was further investigating Trump’s alleged involvement in the Jan 6. Capitol riot and interference with the 2020 election results. In August, Trump was indicted on four federal charges related to Jan. 6, which he pleaded not guilty to.
On Monday, Trump was indicted on 13 charges in Georgia, along with 18 others, with allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.
Trump has a total of 91 pending charges against him.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:53:13 EDT
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A grand jury is arranged to vote on whether charges should be brought or not. A special grand jury is composed of 7-11 jurors and investigates and decides if organized crime occurred in the community the jury resides in. Special grand juries can subpoena witnesses, hear and see evidence. Grand juries and special grand juries are not like trial juries. Though called to serve, they have different responsibilities and purposes.
Trump was indicted by a grand jury Monday in Fulton County, Georgia. It is the fourth time this year that the former president has been indicted. Trump was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer, Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree, Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings and more.
Georgia Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis held a press conference late Monday evening. According to Willis, Trump and the 18 others cited in the indictment have until August 25, 2023 to surrender.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:37:37 EDT
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Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., briefly addressed the fourth indictment against his 2024 rival former President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
At a gaggle with reporters, Scott was asked about Trump’s infamous 2020 phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During the call, Trump urged the secretary of state to “find” enough votes to reverse the state’s election outcome.
Scott said the latest indictment of Trump continues to show “the legal system being weaponized against political opponents.”
“That is un-American and unacceptable. At the end of the day, we need a better system than that, frankly. Hopefully the United States, where we have an opportunity to competence and integrity and all of our Department of Justice,” he told reporters.
Asked specifically about the phone call, Scott said he heard it, “but I just draw different conclusions.”
Trump has denied all wrongdoing and called it a “perfect” phone call.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:12:26 EDT
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A grand jury is selected at random by the clerk of the circuit courts. Federal law requires names to be chosen at random from the community in which the grand jury convenes. All residents in the community have an opportunity to serve on the grand jury.
A grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump late Monday night. The indictment named 18 other people including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman and others.
The names and other identifying information of the grand jurors are privileged information and not subject to declaration. Grand jurors and the proceedings are completely secret and the only other individuals possibly present in the room are a prosecutor and a court reporter. Ahead of deliberation, grand jurors hear from a prosecutor and witnesses and moves to vote. All individuals present are sworn to secrecy ahead of deliberation.
Grand juries are typically secretive to avoid a potentially charged individual from fleeing before they’re taken into custody and to protect witnesses.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:56:58 EDT
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp responded to former President Donald Trump’s latest post on Truth Social, in which Trump promised to provide “irrefutable” evidence of voter fraud in Georgia.
“The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen,” Kemp posted on X.
“For nearly three years now, anyone with evidence of fraud has failed to come forward – under oath – and prove anything in a court of law. Our elections in Georgia are secure, accessible, and fair and will continue to be as long as I am governor,” the governor continued.
“The future of our country is at stake in 2024 and that must be our focus.”
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Earlier, Trump said he would hold a press conference to present a “Large, Complex, Detailed but Irrefutable REPORT on the Presidential Election Fraud which took place in Georgia.”
“Based on the results of this CONCLUSIVE Report, all charges should be dropped against me & others – There will be a complete EXONERATION! They never went after those that Rigged the Election. they only went after those that fought to find the RIGGERS!”
Trump said the news conference will take place at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, August 21, 2023, in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:40:36 EDT
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The full Trump-Georgia indictment document can be viewed and downloaded on Fox News Digital.
The lengthy 98 page document includes all 41 counts former president Donald Trump was accused of, as well as the 18 others that have been accused alongside him. The document highlights who individual charges and counts. Those accused with Trump include former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis.
The indictment states that the defendants and unindicted co conspirators “constituted a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in various related criminal activities including, but not limited to, false statements and writings, impersonating a public officer, forgery, filing false documents, influencing witnesses, computer theft, computer trespass, computer invasion of privacy, conspiracy to defraud the state, acts involving theft, and perjury.”
In the document, each count against Trump is broken down into sections with information and evidence laid out by the Fulton Superior Court.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:36:33 EDT
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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie weighed in Tuesday morning on “Fox & Friends” and said he was “uncomfortable” with the Fulton County district attorney retreading election interference charges special counsel Jack Smith covered in his federal indictment of Trump.
“I think this was unnecessary as to Donald Trump,” said Christie, a former U.S. attorney. “Now, remember, as to the other defendants Jack Smith chose not to charge them. So I would have less of a problem with this if she decided, okay, I’m not going to charge Donald Trump here because he’s been charged essentially this conduct by Jack Smith. But Giuliani and Meadows and others have not been charged at the federal level. That would be a more defensible indictment.”
Christie suggested Willis was motivated by her “ego,” however he acknowledged that Trump does have some exposure in this matter.
“Donald Trump had three counts of the vote here in Georgia. He had the original count. He had a machine recount, and then he had a hand recount. All those things were given at his request — the last two in particular. He also was able to contest these things in court in Georgia and did not win. All that stuff, I’d say, is absolutely legal and within his right to do,” he said.
“Where this starts to be problematic for him is the electors and the pressure that was being put on folks after all these counts happened. And that’s where I think his exposure is in the federal case. And that’s where his exposure would be here.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:10:18 EDT
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Harrison Floyd is one of the 18 people that have been charged with former President Donald Trump.
Floyd served as director of Black Voices for Trump, a group that was funded by the former president. The group was formed in hopes of increasing support for Trump with Black voters. He also worked for Trump’s 2020 campaign.
Floyd has been accused of recruiting pastor Stephen Lee to arrange a meeting with Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman and publicist Trevian Kutti. Lee and Kutti are two others that have been charged. Floyd was charged for violating the Georgia Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, influencing witnesses and conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:53:54 EDT
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Racketeering is the act of conducting business through illegal methods.
When racketeering occurs, there is an organized crime happening that uses dishonest and fraudulent methods to earn profit or uses a business in order to conduct illegal activities. These illegal businesses are known as “rackets.” Racketeering can be prosecuted at both a state and federal level.
Trump was indicted Monday on charges of racketeering.
Types of illegal activity that qualify as racketeering are specified in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO.) Congress passed this act in 1970 as a way to combat organized crime.
A few examples of racketeering include bribery, money laundering, kidnapping, embezzlement, murder for hire, extortion and drug trafficking.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:47:03 EDT
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Emily Kohrs is the forewoman of the special grand jury as part of the Georgia criminal probe into former President Trump. Trump was indicted late Monday by the grand jury.
In media appearances on CNN, NYT, AP News and NBC News earlier this year, Kohrs appeared to strongly hint that Trump was among those recommended for criminal charges while laughing, joking and making animated facial expressions that seemed to provide answers she knew she shouldn’t be offering.
In an MSNBC interview she said, “I wanted to hear from the former president but honestly, I kind of wanted to subpoena the former president because I got to swear everybody in and so, I thought it’d be really cool to get 60 seconds with President Trump of me looking at him and being like ‘do you solemnly swear’ and me getting to swear him in. I just, I kinda just thought that would be an awesome moment.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:50:57 EDT
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) is actively investigating the jail where former President Donald Trump may be booked after his arrest in Fulton County.
DOJ opened an investigation into conditions inside the Fulton County Jail last month after an “extensive” review of publicly-available information. That review included a report about LaShawn Thompson, an inmate who died in September 2022 after he was allegedly eaten alive by bugs in his cell, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
An autopsy said Thompson died of complications due to severe neglect and major contributing causes as untreated schizophrenia, dehydration, malnourishment and severe body insect infestation. His death was ruled a homicide.
“These autopsy findings confirm that Lashawn was killed by the extreme neglect of the Fulton County Jail and its staff,” Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing Thompson’s family in a lawsuit against the jail, said in a May 22 statement. “He was dehydrated, malnourished, and his body was infested inside and out with insects — it is truly one of the most horrific cases we have seen.”
The state of the jail could complicate negotiations between the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and the Secret Service over how Trump will be booked.
According to the department’s website, individuals who have been arrested are first taken to the Main Jail at 901 Rice Street NW, Atlanta, for booking. Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said earlier this month he expects Trump to be booked like any other criminal suspect, including fingerprinting and photographing.
Trump has an August 25 deadline to turn himself in to Fulton County authorities.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:28:09 EDT
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Progressive Democrats on Tuesday are celebrating former President Trump’s fourth indictment, which came from Fulton County, Georgia, overnight.
“The twice-impeached former white supremacist-in-chief now has as many indictments has he had years in office — four,” said “Squad” member Rep. Cori Bush, R-Mo. “May he be held accountable for every bit of his gross misconduct. May we never experience another moment of his tyrannical, incompetent rule.”
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., quoted Theodore Parker and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in reaction to news of the latest charges.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.,” she wrote on X.
Congressional Progressive Caucus member Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said on the platform, “This isn’t politics. He pressured Georgia election administrators to just make up votes that didn’t exist so he could win—even though he lost fair and square. Nobody is above the law.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the now-defunct House select committee on January 6, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., took a more measured approach and pointed out that Trump was “innocent until proven guilty” under U.S. law. However, he did point out that his committee had drawn similar conclusions about the former president.
“The January 6th Select Committee revealed that Donald Trump and his allies used the Big Lie of a stolen election to pressure Georgia public servants to betray their oaths and manipulate the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election,” Thompson said last night.
“Tonight’s indictments are part of a long journey to bring accountability for a multi-part conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s election results, which threatened the lives and livelihoods of brave election workers, like Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who make American democracy work.”
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:12:35 EDT
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Former CIA spy and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, a long-shot for the GOP presidential nomination, joined Hutchinson Tuesday morning in criticizing Trump.
“Another day, another indictment, and another example of how the former president’s baggage will hand Joe Biden reelection if Trump is the Republican nominee. This is further evidence that Trump knew he lost the 2020 election and was ready to do anything it took to cling to power. He will use this latest indictment as another opportunity to manipulate Americans into paying his legal bills,” Hurd, another vocal GOP critic of Trump, argued in a statement.
“It’s time we move beyond dealing with the former president’s baggage. The Republican Party needs a leader who isn’t afraid of bullies like Trump and who understands the complex issues facing our country — from complicated technologies that will affect our economy and global power structures that will determine our position in the world. We need a leader who understands our adversaries because he has fought them firsthand,” he continued.
“These complicated times demand common sense leadership — and America deserves a leader who knows we are better together rather than someone who is interested in tearing us apart.”
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:38:47 EDT
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Former President Trump’s attorney Alina Habba said Tuesday that Trump will “obviously” surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, following his indictment for election meddling.
“He will surrender, obviously,” Habba said on “Fox & Friends,” acknowledging that Fulton County authorities want Trump to be fingerprinted and photographed when he is booked.
“You see that there’s a bit of an ego trip happening in Georgia where they’re saying that they’re going to force him to have a mug shot. The purpose of a mug shot is when you don’t recognize someone, you think there’s a flight risk. This man is the most famous person in the world, the leading candidate right now,” Habba said.
She ripped Fulton County officials for their handling of the indictment and its apparent leak on Monday, and suggested Trump’s defense team will make motions to move the venue or force recusals.
“These are all things, unfortunately, that the judge presiding over the case is going to look at themselves. So imagine a judge presiding has to decide whether they should be leaving the case and recuse themselves. It almost never happens because of this exact problem. And we will have all those motions. Frankly, we’ve been ready for it and we’ll be ripping.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:02:19 EDT
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Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday called on his 2024 rival former President Donald Trump to drop out of the race following his fourth indictment in Georgia.
In a statement, Hutchinson said Trump has “disqualified himself” from ever serving in the White House again.
“This is another day of challenge for our democracy with the indictment handed down by the grand jury in Georgia. As a former federal prosecutor, I have personally pursued racketeering charges in federal court against terrorist organizations, and I understand the difficulty of a multi-defendant indictment and how slow the case will proceed in state court,” Hutchinson said.
“Regardless of the specifics of the Georgia indictment, I expect the voters will make the ultimate decision on the future of our democracy. Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump’s actions disqualified him from ever serving as President again. Those words are more true today than ever before. I will have additional comments after I review the details of the indictment.”
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:39:12 EDT
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Just hours before former President Donald Trump was indicted for a fourth time in Georgia on Monday night, his former political opponent, Hillary Clinton, laughed merrily at him on MSNBC.
“All over the country, people are wondering what Hillary Rodham Clinton is thinking watching things unfold in Georgia,” MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said Monday to laughs from Clinton.
“Oh, I can’t believe this,” Clinton said, again breaking out into laughter. “Honestly, I didn’t think that it would be under these circumstances. Yet another set of indictments.”
When asked if she felt satisfaction after warning the country about Trump’s threats to American democracy, Clinton claimed that she felt “great profound sadness” about the possibility of another Trump indictment.
She also emphasized the gravity of Trump’s then-potential indictment after visibly shaking with laughter during her appearance on MSNBC.
“I don’t know that anyone should be satisfied,” she said. “This is a terrible moment for our country to have a former president accused of these terribly important crimes. The only satisfaction may be that the system is working, that all of the efforts by Donald Trump, his allies and his enablers to try to silence the truth and to try to undermine democracy have been brought into the light.”
“Justice is being pursued,” she added.
Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:20:26 EDT
Vivek Ramaswamy did not wait for the late night breaking news on former President Trump’s fourth indictment to weigh in.
Hours before prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted Trump on 13 counts related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the crucial southeastern battleground state, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, best-selling author and culture wars crusader took to social media to blast the charges.
Ahead of an indictment that accused the former president of “knowingly and willfully join[ing] a conspiracy” with a large group including some of his former top aides “to change the outcome of the election,” Ramaswamy argued that the charges against the commanding front-runner in the 2024 GOP nomination race were “another disastrous Trump indictment.”
Ramaswamy, who has vocally blasted the previous indictments against Trump, claimed that “it’s downright pathetic that Fulton County publicly posted the indictment on its website even before the grand jury had finished convening. Since the four prosecutions against Trump are using novel & untested legal theories, it’s fair game for him to do the same in defense: immediately file a motion to dismiss for a constitutional due process violation for publicly issuing an indictment before the grand jury had actually signed one. He should make a strong argument on these grounds & it would send a powerful message to the ever-expansive prosecutorial police state.”
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Ramaswamy – noting once again that he is running against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination – offered legal assistance to his rival.
“As someone who’s running for President against Trump, I’d volunteer to write the amicus brief to the court myself: prosecutors should not be deciding U.S. presidential elections, and if they’re so overzealous that they commit constitutional violations, then the cases should be thrown out & they should be held accountable,” Ramasawamy argued.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:13:12 EDT
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The two top Democrats in Congress released a joint statement Monday night slamming former President Donald Trump in response to news he was indicted for the fourth time in Georgia.
“The fourth indictment of Donald Trump, just like the three which came before it, portrays a repeated pattern of criminal activity by the former president,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
“This latest indictment details how Mr. Trump led a months-long plot pushing the Big Lie to steal an election, undermine our democracy, and overturn the will of the people of Georgia.
“The actions taken by the Fulton County District Attorney, along with other state and federal prosecutors, reaffirms the shared belief that in America no one, not even the president, is above the law,” the statement continued. “As a nation built on the rule of law, we urge Mr. Trump, his supporters, and his critics to allow the legal process to proceed without outside interference.”
Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:53:16 EDT
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Donald Trump, has now been indicted four times this year, all while he leads in the polls for the Republican nomination for president.
Trump, the current 2024 GOP frontrunner, was indicted on Tuesday with state charges out of Georgia’s Fulton County.
Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman, and others, were also charged out of the years-long investigation.
The charges include violating the Georgia RICO Act — the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act; Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings; Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Filing False Documents; and Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer.
Georgia Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gave Trump and the 18 other dependents until Aug. 25 to surrender. Willis, Monday night during a press conference, said she would like a trial to take place within six months.
Trump was first charged in March out of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s years-long investigation related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in New York.
Months later, on June 8, Trump, for the first time, was indicted on federal criminal charges out of that classified records investigation.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges out of that probe. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.
Last month, on July 27, Trump was charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of Smith’s investigation — an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts.
Smith was also investigating whether Trump was involved in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 and any alleged interference in the 2020 election result.
On Aug. 1, Trump was indicted on four federal charges out of Smith’s Jan. 6 probe.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct and official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:34:31 EDT
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Constitutional attorney Mark Smith joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ on Tuesday to discuss his take on former President Donald Trump’s latest indictment and why the case could take “years to process through the system.”
Smith, a former member of Trump’s transition team, called the indictment “bewildering” and said Trump’s actions in Georgia after the 2020 election were protected by the Constitution.
“The First Amendment of the United States Constitution specifically says that we have the right to petition the government in all its forms if we have a grievance. Now, there’s no dispute that Donald Trump and his legal team disputed who won the Georgia electoral votes in 2020,” Smith said.
“That was a legitimate fight. They took it to the courts. They took it to the Congress. They took it to the state legislature, i.e. the government, which they were allowed to do under the First Amendment,” he added.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:04:18 EDT
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The potential fourth indictment of ex-President Donald Trump is a judicial feat that would please “Stalin” former Reagan Justice Department chief of staff Mark Levin declared Monday, as reports surfaced of such a development.
Levin, host of “Life, Liberty & Levin,” said that while America’s enemies are likely celebrating the potential that Fulton County Ga. Democratic District Attorney Fani Willis is about to indict Trump in relation to his behavior during the 2020 election, America’s enemies will only be emboldened.
“Well, Stalin would be proud. I’m sure Putin’s proud. I’m sure our enemies are celebrating and our allies are appalled at what’s going on here,” he said on “Hannity.”
Levin said the judicial system has been “bastardized” in Democratic-majority precincts pursuing charges against Trump, like Atlanta, New York and the District of Columbia.
“We are going through the motions of justice here, like autocratic regimes,” he said.
Levin said the mounting indictments are not just an attack on the rule of law or the American judicial system but also on the GOP itself, positing that the message being sent is that elections, and the actions of officials in Democrat-majority precincts should not be challenged.
“‘Don’t you dare do a damn thing’ because nobody knows what the rules are in these Democrat cities or these states anymore. It is horrendous,” he said to that effect.
Levin warned that if Team Trump or its allies cannot find a legal way to get the entirety of his indictments before the Supreme Court – and convince the Supreme Court to hear their cases – before November 2024, the events unfolding will damage America and its justice system forever.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 06:52:03 EDT
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The legal pursuits of former President Donald Trump are costing taxpayers and Trump’s team millions of dollars as a fourth indictment filed against him – and 18 others – was revealed in Georgia late Monday night.
Trump’s political action committee ‘Save America’ has spent more than $20 million on legal fees since the beginning of the year, according to CNBC. The PAC has more than $3 million on hand going into the second half of 2023.
The financial impact to Trump’s team isn’t unique as special counsel investigations into the former president have cost taxpayers millions of dollars over the past few years.
Special Counsel Jack Smith spent nearly $5.5 million during the first four months alone of the classified documents probe into the former president and Special Counsel John Durham reported $7,683,839 total in expenditures since 2020 while investigating Russian interference in U.S. elections.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, addressed Trump’s financial situation Monday night during an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” saying the GOP frontrunner is “spending more money on lawyer fees than he is running for office.”
“January the sixth, I was there, I saw it, he was impeached over it,” Graham said. “The American people can decide whether they want him to be president or not. This should be decided at the ballot box, not a bunch of liberal jurisdictions trying to put the man in jail.”
Fox Business’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:05:09 EDT
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Former President Trump will have his fingerprints and mugshot taken when he turns himself in to custody, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat told local media earlier this month.
The next steps for a defendant in Georgia is to be arraigned, which is the formal reading of charges in court. Trump will be asked to enter a plea, and he is expected to plead not guilty.
The judge will also determine bail. Trump is likely to be released in exchange for a promise to return and face his charges at trial.
On Aug. 3, Labat told WSBTV he expects that Trump will be required to give his fingerprints and take a mugshot like any other criminal defendant taken into custody.
“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Labat said.
Trump is already facing three indictments relating to handling of classified documents, hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Washington, D.C.
His indictment in Georgia is his fourth.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 06:34:09 EDT
Former President Donald Trump could not exonerate himself from a possible conviction in Georgia under the Constitution if he wins wins the presidency in 2024, as presidents are not granted the authority to pardon themselves from crimes against individual states.
Trump was indicted for the fourth time Monday night, this time in Georgia along with 18 others allegedly involved in illegal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state. The former president is facing 13 counts in the latest indictment.
According to Georgia state law, Trump would have to wait at least five years after being released from court-ordered supervision before he can apply for a pardon.
In the event of a conviction in Georgia, Trump could be issued a pardon from the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. But this can only be done after fulfilling his sentence, any probation or parole time and five years time.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp does not have the authority to pardon Trump if he were convicted in the Peach State.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:56:30 EDT
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis deflected when asked how a draft of the indictment leaked Monday prior to the grand jury voting to charge former President Trump and 18 others.
On Monday afternoon, the Fulton County Court’s website posted a document listing the same charges included in the indictment released late Monday night.
Reuters first reported on the document, before the Fulton County Court quickly removed it from the website.
When asked by Fox News for an explanation of the leak, Willis deflected.
“No, I can’t tell you anything about what you refer to,” Willis said. “What I can tell you is that we had a grand jury here in Fulton County. They deliberated till almost 8:00, if not right after 8:00, an indictment was returned. It was true billed. And you now have an indictment.”
She added: “I am not an expert on clerks duties or even administrative duties. I wouldn’t know how to work that system. And so I’m not going to speculate. Next question.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:26:12 EDT
Former President Donald Trump was indicted for the fourth time, this time in Georgia, on Monday night along with 18 others who authorities say were involved in illegal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.
In addition to Trump, who is facing 13 counts in the latest indictment, the 18 other people charged for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia are:
Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, lawyers John Eastman, Ray Smith III and Robert Cheeley, former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, former members of Trump legal team Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, ex-Trump staffer Michael Roman, former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party David Shafer, Georgia state. Sen. Shawn Still, Illinois police chaplain Stephen Lee, Black Voices for Trump executive director Harrison Floyd, Publicist Trevian Kutti, former Coffee County Republican Party in Georgia chairwoman Cathy Latham, 2020 Fulton County Republican poll watcher Scott Hall and former Coffee County, Georgia, election supervisor Misty Hampton.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 06:32:03 EDT
Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson released a statement following former President Trump’s indictment in Georgia Monday night.
Trump’s indictment Monday is in connection with his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the Peach State. This brings the total indictments against the former president up to four.
“This is another day of challenge for our democracy with the indictment handed down by the grand jury in Georgia,” Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas, said in a statement. “I have personally pursued racketeering charges in federal court against terrorist organizations, and I understand the difficulty of a multi-defendant indictment and how slow the case will proceed in state court.
“Regardless of the specifics of the Georgia indictment, I expect the voters will make the ultimate decision on the future of our democracy,” the statement continued. “Over a year ago, I said Donald Trump’s actions disqualified him from ever serving as President again. Those words are more true today than ever before. I will have additional comments after I review the details of the indictment.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 01:04:02 EDT
Former President Trump told Fox News Digital his fourth indictment comes during a “dark period for our country” but vowed to win the 2024 presidential election and “Make America Great Again.”
Trump was indicted for the fourth time Monday night—this time out of the Georgia probe into alleged efforts to overturn 2020 election.
“Nineteen people were indicted, and the whole world is laughing at the United States as they see how corrupt and horrible a place it has turned out to be under the leadership of Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview late Monday night.
Trump and more than a dozen others were charged, including his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman, among others.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:24:33 EDT
Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis gave former President Trump and the 18 other individuals named in Monday’s grand jury indictment until August 25 to surrender.
Willis held a press conference late Monday after a Fulton County grand jury handed up charges against the former president and several others.
The Georgia district attorney gave Trump and the other 18 individuals in the indictment until noon on August 25 to surrender to law enforcement.
The charges include violating the Georgia RICO Act—the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act; Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings; Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Filing False Documents; and Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer. This is the fourth time Trump has been indicted. Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted on criminal charges.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:53:46 EDT
An indictment is a formal accusation or charge of a serious crime by a government that forms the basis of a legal case against an entity.
Former President Trump and 18 other individuals were indicted by a Georgia grand jury on Monday.
A grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia handed up the indictment against the former president and several other individuals, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Monday’s indictment means that Trump and the others named in the document are formally accused of violating several statutes, including violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
In addition to accusation of violating the Georgia RICO Act, the other charges include Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; and Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings, among others.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:57:51 EDT
Former President Trump was indicted out of the years-long criminal investigation led by state prosecutors in Georgia into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.
Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, John Eastman, and others, were also charged out of the years-long investigation.
The charges include violating the Georgia RICO Act—the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act; Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings; Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents; Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree; Filing False Documents; and Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer.
This is the fourth time Trump has been indicted. Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted on criminal charges.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 22:53:18 EDT
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‘Hannity’ legal panelists Gregg Jarrett, Alan Dershowitz and Matt Whitaker discuss reports 10 indictments were handed up in the Trump-Georgia case.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:32:07 EDT
House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik reacted to the ten indictments handed up in the Trump-Georgia case.
The case involves allegations that Trump sought to overturn the election results in Georgia. Fox News Digital has yet to independently confirm the 10 indictments.
“This is another rogue Far Left radical District Attorney weaponizing their office to target Joe Biden’s top political opponent President Trump,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital.
“President Trump had every legal right to challenge the results of the election. This radical DA displayed political bias toward President Trump so much that a judge disqualified her from part of this case,” she continued.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 22:56:01 EDT
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‘Save America’ general counsel Alina Habba calls the Trump indictments a ‘ploy’ and ‘election interference’ while awaiting a possible fourth indictment in Georgia on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
“The fact that we have people standing by and leaks to the press before I’ve even seen his indictment—before the indictment’s even come out—is exactly the problem that we have in this country at this moment,” Habba said.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:30:39 EDT
EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers reacted to the Fulton County grand jury handing up ten indictments in the Trump-Georgia case.
The case involves allegations that Trump sought to overturn the election results in Georgia. Fox News Digital has yet to independently confirm the 10 indictments.
“I’m so over this – the first 73 indictments, I was hanging in,” Rep. Darrell Issa’s, R-Calif., spokesperson Jonathan Wilcox told Fox News Digital.
“Electing Trump for the third time, putting him back in the White House, and saving our country is plan A,” Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., told Fox News Digital.
“Not sure how any of this can be taken serious when the indictment was leaked hours before the grand jury deliberated while at the same time the DA is fundraising off the indictment,” South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace said.
“This is another sad prosecutor trying to make a career out of indicting Trump,” she continued. “That’s all this is about.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:21:02 EDT
Former President Donald Trump was also charged this summer, on August 1, out of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 and alleged interference in the 2020 election. Trump pleaded not guilty to the four federal charges he faced, which included conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct and official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. This release of this Smith indictment against Trump was the second time in U.S. history that a former president faced federal criminal charges.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:20:43 EDT
Former President Donald Trump was also charged on June 8 out of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges out of that investigation. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump is the first former U.S. president in history to face federal criminal charges.
Last month, on July 27, Trump was charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of that probe—an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts. Trump aide and valet Waltine Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliviera were also charged out of Smith’s probe.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:20:25 EDT
Former President Donald Trump was previously charged on March 30 out of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s years-long investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Those charges were related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021. Trump made history in March by being the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 22:19:21 EDT
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“You asked what my reaction is? I’m pissed,” Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Monday night in response to news that an indictment was handed up in the case against former President Donald Trump in Georgia.
“I’m pissed at these over and over and over again, if there are indictments tonight it’ll be the fourth indictment of Donald Trump,” Cruz continued.
“This is disgraceful. Our country is over 200 years old. We have never once indicted a former president or a candidate, a leading candidate for president and this is Joe Biden, this is the Democrats weaponizing the justice system because they’re afraid of the voters. This is disgraceful. It is wrong and it is an abuse of power by angry Democrats who have decided the rule of law doesn’t matter to them anymore.”
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:17:19 EDT
Former President Trump’s campaign responded to the ten indictments reportedly handed down by a Georgia grand jury.
The case involves allegations that the former president tried to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
“Like Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Deranged Jack Smith, and New York AG Letitia James, Fulton County, GA’s radical Democrat District Attorney Fani Willis is a rabid partisan who is campaigning and fundraising on a platform of prosecuting President Trump through these bogus indictments,” the Trump campaign told Fox News Digital.
“Ripping a page from Crooked Joe Biden’s playbook, Willis has strategically stalled her investigation to try and maximally interfere with the 2024 presidential race and damage the dominant Trump campaign,” they continued.
“All of these corrupt Democrat attempts will fail,” the campaign added.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:57:07 EDT
NBC reported that 10 indictments were handed down by the Fulton County grand jury on Monday in the Trump Georgia case.
The case involves allegations that Trump sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.
Fox News Digital has yet to independently confirm the 10 indictments.
Mon, 14 Aug 2023 22:23:21 EDT
A grand jury in Georgia that has been investigating former President Donald Trump over his efforts to undo the 2020 election results in that state returned at least one indictment Monday, though it was not immediately clear against whom.
