Topline
The Fulton County Clerk of Courts called a document that was reportedly posted to its website Monday listing charges against former President Donald Trump “fictitious,” hours after Reuters reported the document was uploaded then quickly deleted, an unusual occurrence as the grand jury considering the case is expected to make a decision on an indictment this week.
Police officers and media members surround the Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse ahead of an expected … [+]
Key Facts
The document, posted by a Reuters reporter to social media and dated August 14, names Trump as a defendant and lists a series of more than a dozen felonies, including a violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, conspiracy to commit forgery, filing false documents and false statements and writings.
The document was removed from the website, according to Reuters, which reported the District Attorney’s office said no charges have been filed against Trump.
In a subsequent statement, the Fulton County Clerk of Courts office said the document was “fictitious” and noted “documents that do not bear an official case number, filing date and the name of the Clerk of Courts . . . are not considered official filings.”
The document Reuters cited, that was also widely circulated on social media, includes a case number, the name of a judge (Rachelle Carnesale) and lists the case status as “open.”
A grand jury is considering charges against Trump in connection with his efforts to upend election results in the state.
Surprising Fact
Legal experts told the Associated Press the posting may have been a clerical error and that the charges listed may be ones prosecutors plan to ask the grand jury to vote on. “It will not scuttle the case. Will his lawyers make a lot of noise about it? Yes, they will. Will Mr. Trump make a lot of noise about it? Yes, he will. I’m sure there will have to be an explanation for it,” Georgia State University Law Professor Clark Cunningham told the outlet.
Key Background
The Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury weighing evidence against Trump is widely expected to vote on an indictment this week and reportedly heard testimony from at least three witnesses in the case Monday. District Attorney Fani Willis said previously she expected to make a decision in the case by September 1. Willis’ office launched the probe in early 2021 and convened a special grand jury in the case to examine evidence that recommended charges, including perjury, against multiple individuals. Willis’ office was expected to indict more than a dozen people in connection with the probe and legal experts reportedly said they expected her office to bring racketeering charges. Trump and his affiliates are accused of taking a multitude of steps to subvert the election results in the state, including Trump’s call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he urged him to “find” enough votes to allegedly sway the results in his favor. Prosecutors also obtained text messages that show Trump and his allies led an effort to hack into voting software in Coffee County as part of a plot to create false evidence of fraud, CNN reported Sunday.
Further Reading
Georgia Prosecutors Have Texts Linking Trump Allies To Voting System Breach, Report Says—As Possible Charges Loom (Forbes)
Trump Vows He’ll Never Take A Plea Deal As Georgia Grand Jury Expected To Hear Latest Case (Forbes)
Trump Attorney Expects Georgia Indictment In A Matter Of Weeks (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/08/14/fulton-county-clerk-of-courts-calls-document-listing-charges-against-trump-fictitious/