Former President Donald Trump Tuesday blasted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as “corrupt” and vowed to release an “irrefutable report” countering his sprawling Georgia election interference indictment.
Minutes after Willis unveiled the indictment, Trump trashed the Atlanta prosecutor as “out of control and very corrupt.”
He later promised to hold a press conference Monday to present a comprehensive response to the indictment of himself and 18 co-defendants on sweeping racketeering charges.
“All charges should be dropped against me & others,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “There will be a complete EXONERATION!”
Trump and the co-defendants were given until Friday, Aug. 25, to surrender to authorities in Atlanta.
The former president is accused of leading a wide-ranging plot to steal the 2020 election and stay in power, starting with a brazen effort to overturn his loss in the battleground state of Georgia.
He now faces four criminal indictments, including 91 counts in two states and two separate federal charges.
Former President Donald Trump arrives to board his plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in Arlington, Va., after facing a judge on federal conspiracy charges that allege he conspired to subvert the 2020 election. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)AP
Despite the charges, Trump remains the dominant front-runner in the Republican presidential race, with most polls showing him at about 50% support.
There was no immediate word on whether Trump will face a separate arraignment or will appear together with all or most of his 18 allies who were also indicted on various aspects of the alleged scheme.
Among the other defendants are big-name Trump allies including Rudy Giuliani, ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and right-wing law professor John Eastman.
The case was assigned by random drawing to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who was appointed to the bench by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp earlier this year.
The so-called RICO charge that all the defendants face carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years behind bars upon conviction. Neither the U.S. president nor Georgia governor has the authority to pardon those convicted of crimes in the state, raising the potential stakes for Trump and all the other co-defendants.
Some legal analysts believe that could make it more likely that Trump’s cronies will turn on him and agree to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for lenient treatment.
