Lawmakers expressed mixed reactions to former President Donald Trump getting indicted on Aug. 14 for the fourth time.
Along with 18 other people, President Trump was indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, where Atlanta is located, on charges related to allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.
This is the second indictment against President Trump on counts stemming from his presidency, following the Aug. 2 indictment against him for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election and interfere in Congress certifying on Jan. 6, 2021, Joe Biden’s electoral victory as president.
Others indicted include, but are not limited to, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, former Republican National Committee lawyer Jenna Ellis, conservative lawyer John Eastman, lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, former DOJ senior official Jeffrey Clark and Georgia GOP Chair David Shafer.
District Attorney Fani Willis said she intends to try all 19 defendants together.
A total of 41 counts were filed, but none of those indicted have been charged on all the counts.
The charges include, but are not limited to, violating the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, solicitation of a 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, filing false documents, and perjury. All those indicted have been charged with violating the Georgia RICO Act.
When President Trump and the 18 other defendants will surrender is to be determined. The deadline to surrender is Aug. 25 at noon Eastern Time.
There are 30 unindicted co-conspirators.
Reuters reported on a copy of the indictment that was briefly posted, then removed, on the Fulton County court’s website.
A spokesperson for Ms. Willis’ office said the then-apparent copy was “inaccurate.”
‘Justice Should be Blind’
Republicans blasted the indictment of the former president.
“Justice should be blind, but Biden has weaponized government against his leading political opponent to interfere in the 2024 election. Now a radical DA in Georgia is following Biden’s lead by attacking President Trump and using it to fundraise her political career. Americans see through this desperate sham,” posted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), referring to Ms. Willis, a Democrat.
“This is another rogue Far Left radical District Attorney weaponizing their office to target Joe Biden’s top political opponent President Trump. President Trump had every legal right to challenge the results of the election,” said House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), referring to Ms. Willis.
Ms. Stefanik labeled the indictment as “blatant election interference by the far-left.”
“Today’s indictment is just the latest political attack in the Democrats’ WITCH HUNT against President Trump. He did nothing wrong!” posted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on X, formerly Twitter.
“President Biden and the Democrats are ABUSING the justice system and have weaponized it against Donald Trump,” posted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on X. “They are trying to take the power away from the voters.”
“President Trump did nothing wrong!” posted Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) on X.
“Fani Willis is giving Stacey Abrams a run for her money with this shameless quest for fame and fortune. Willis, just like Alvin Bragg, is a left-wing Democrat with an axe to grind weaponizing the justice system against President Trump in an effort to interfere with the 2024 presidential election,” posted Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) on X.
Mr. Bragg, the district attorney of Manhattan, announced a grand jury indictment of President Trump in April over the then-presidential candidate allegedly misreporting a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just weeks before the 2016 election. The grand jury voted on March 30 to indict.
“Are we going to let county prosecutors start prosecuting the president of the United States—the former president of the United States?” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asked in an interview with Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Government building in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 14, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Democrats Respond
Democrats appeared to celebrate the indictment.
“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,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in a statement. “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.”
“After losing the free and fair 2020 election, the failed former president attempted to disenfranchise Georgia voters because he didn’t like the result. That was an assault on our democracy. But in Fulton County we apply the law equally to everyone–even failed former presidents,” posted Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), whose district includes most of Atlanta, on X.
“There’s no need to tiptoe around the obvious... The facts will always rise to the top. What’s done in the dark will always come to light. No one is above the law,” posted Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) on X.
“Just now the head of the republican party has been criminally indicted for trying to steal the 2020 election. Donald Trump has been arrested four times this year — at the local, state and federal levels,” posted Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) on X.
“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,” posted Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) on X, referring to Fulton County poll workers who allegedly faced threats after Trump posted about them.
“As a nation, there’s nothing more precious than our republic and our democracy. I trust that justice will be served to the fullest extent of the law, and I look forward to that resolution for our country and democracy,” posted Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) on X.
Jackson Richman
Author
Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.
