August 14, 2023
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants on August 14, 2023, charging them under Georgia's RICO statute for their roles in a coordinated effort to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis secured a 41-count indictment against 
Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants on August 14, 2023, charging them under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act for allegedly conspiring to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results.
The 98-page indictment listed 161 overt acts the defendants allegedly committed as part of the criminal enterprise, including Trump's January 2, 2021 phone call demanding Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger find 11,780 votes to change the certified result.
The 13 charges against Trump included one count of violating Georgia's RICO Act, three counts of soliciting violations of oath by a public officer, and nine additional felony counts for conspiracy and false statements related to the fake elector scheme.
Willis convened a special-purpose grand jury in May 2022 that heard testimony from 75 witnesses over eight months, including Raffensperger, Governor Brian Kemp, Giuliani, and Senator Lindsey Graham; the jury submitted its recommendations to Willis in January 2023.
Sidney Powell pleaded guilty on October 19, 2023 to six misdemeanor counts; Kenneth Chesebro pleaded guilty on October 20, 2023 to felony conspiracy; Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty on October 24, 2023 to aiding and abetting false statements — all three agreed to testify against remaining defendants.
Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis in December 2024, citing her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade and the $600,000 in taxpayer funds paid to Wade while he covered travel expenses for the couple.
Federal judges denied Mark Meadows's and Jeffrey Clark's attempts to move the case to federal court, ruling their alleged conduct was not within their official federal duties and that the federal-officer removal statute does not apply to former federal officers.
True or false: All 19 defendants in the Georgia RICO case were charged with the same RICO conspiracy count.
True or false: The Georgia RICO indictment was the first of four criminal indictments Trump faced in 2023.
Which Georgia official was primarily targeted by Trump's pressure campaign and later became a key witness in the investigation?
What was historically significant about Donald Trump's booking at the Fulton County jail following the Georgia indictment?
How many total counts were included in the Georgia RICO indictment against Donald Trump and his co-defendants in August 2023?
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Former President, defendant
Georgia Secretary of State
Former White House Chief of Staff, defendant
Trump attorney, defendant
Trump campaign lawyer, cooperating witness
Fulton County Superior Court Judge
research
Search Fulton County Superior Court records for the Georgia RICO indictment
State court records are public documents. Reading the full Georgia indictment is the most direct way to evaluate whether the charges describe real criminal conduct or political overreach.
Fulton County court records, including all indictments, plea agreements, and rulings, are publicly searchable at the Fulton County Superior Court clerk's website at fultoncountyga.gov. Search for 'State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump' to find the original indictment, which names all 19 defendants and lists every specific charge. Reading the actual indictment — not a media summary — shows you what acts prosecutors say were committed, in what sequence, and by whom. This is a 98-page document that reads as a detailed factual narrative.
research
Understand why a presidential pardon cannot reach a Georgia state conviction
The pardon power is one of the most frequently misunderstood constitutional provisions in political coverage. Reading Article II directly takes five minutes and produces a clearer understanding than any news analysis.
State RICO prosecutions can proceed independently of federal politics — presidential pardons cover only federal crimes under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution. Read Article II directly at constitution.congress.gov. Georgia's own constitution limits pardon power to a state board. This means that if Trump were convicted in Georgia, no presidential pardon could erase that conviction. Understanding the federal-state divide in pardon power helps citizens evaluate political claims about whether any one official can end accountability for conduct that spans both federal and state law.
civic action
Contact your state legislators to support clear RICO standards for election challenges
RICO laws vary significantly by state. Pushing for clear statutory definitions protects both the rule of law and the right to political opposition — because overbroad RICO charges can criminalize legitimate dissent if the line is not drawn clearly.
Citizens can contact their state legislators to support clear statutory standards defining when coordinated election challenges cross from protected political activity into criminal conspiracy under RICO law. Georgia's RICO statute is broader than federal RICO — it covers a wider range of predicate acts. Contact your own state legislature's judiciary committee chair and ask: Does your state have clear statutory guidance on when election-related conduct constitutes criminal conspiracy versus protected political speech? Request a written response.