By David Voreacos and Erik Larson, Bloomberg News
Donald Trump and 18 codefendants have fewer than 10 days to show themselves in for arraignment in Atlanta on costs they engaged in a sweeping prison operation to maintain the previous president in workplace after he misplaced the 2020 election.
In a 41-count indictment issued this week, 161 particular acts are stitched collectively beneath the umbrella of a racketeering statute that spanned outstanding months in U.S. historical past after President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Georgia.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis makes use of Georgia’s racketeering statute to inform the story of a prison group, allegedly led by Trump, that gave false testimony to Georgia lawmakers, empaneled a phony slate of electors, intimidated ballot staff, stole election machine information and beseeched state officers to toss out votes.
As together with his earlier three indictments, Trump denies all of this as a partisan assault to thwart his bid to run for the White House in 2024. Here are some key dates:
Oct. 31, 2020
Four days earlier than the election, Trump begins the alleged conspiracy by discussing a draft speech with an unindicted co-conspirator that falsely declares victory and alleges voter fraud, which prosecutors say set the stage for coordinated efforts to undermine religion within the outcomes.
Nov. 4, 2020
One day after Trump loses to Biden, the outgoing Republican president delivers the speech to a nationally televised viewers, hinting at a constitutional disaster. “The speech was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy,” the indictment says.
Nov. 15, 2020
Attention shifts to Georgia, a key swing state. One of Trump’s election attorneys, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, leaves an 83-second voicemail for one more unindicted co-conspirator, making what the indictment says are false statements about election fraud in Fulton County.
Nov. 19, 2020
Giuliani and two different attorneys charged within the case, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, make false statements about voter fraud in Georgia and different states throughout a televised press convention on the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington. Their claims in regards to the election being rigged by voting-machine corporations is broadly mocked however takes root with Trump’s base.
Nov. 20, 2020
David Shafer, the previous chair of the Georgia Republican social gathering, who was additionally indicted, sends an electronic mail searching for help for Scott Graham Hall, an Atlanta-area bail bondsman, who’s “looking into election fraud” on behalf of Trump. Willis alleges Shafer, just like the others, knew there was no such fraud.
Nov. 21, 2020
Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows texts U.S. Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, requesting cellphone numbers for the speaker and chief of that state’s legislature. This is one in every of many acts within the indictment that happened in one other state however was however used to point out a conspiracy beneath Georgia regulation.
Nov. 22, 2020
Trump and Giuliani cellphone Arizona House Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers, a Republican, making claims about voter fraud and urgent him to nominate Trump-supporting electors within the swing state though Biden had gained it. Bowers refused and later testified to the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee that probed the assault on the U.S. Capitol, saying “I would not break my oath.”
Dec. 3, 2020
Attorneys for Trump make the primary of three appearances earlier than state lawmakers, making what prosecutors say are false claims about election fraud in an effort to steer them to reject the state’s “duly elected and qualified presidential electors” for Biden. Claims included that 2,506 felons, 10,315 lifeless individuals and 66,248 underage residents voted illegally. Similar shows had been made in different swing states, too.
“Wow! Blockbuster testimony taking place right now in Georgia,” Trump tweets. “Ballot stuffing by Dems when Republicans were forced to leave the large counting room. Plenty more coming, but this alone leads to an easy win of the State!”
Dec. 6, 2020
Trump and others name RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel to hunt the group’s assist coordinating the alleged fake-electors scheme. It would find yourself involving pro-Trump electors in Georgia in addition to six different states: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. McDaniel isn’t accused of wrongdoing.
Dec. 7, 2020
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recertifies Biden’s win following a recount requested by Trump’s marketing campaign. That identical day, then-Georgia State Senator Burt Jones tweeted a “call to action” that urged Trump’s supporters to contact state lawmakers to signal a petition for a particular session of the legislature to make sure “free & fair elections.” Willis was barred by a choose from investigating Jones as a result of he discovered she had a battle of curiosity having hosted a fundraiser for the Democrat who misplaced to Jones within the 2022 lieutenant governor race.
Dec. 8, 2020
Trump calls Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and pressures him to help an election lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The case asks the U.S. Supreme Court to dam Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin from casting their collective 62 electoral votes for Biden. On Dec. 12, the Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit, which Trump had referred to as “the big one.”
Dec. 31, 2020
Trump recordsdata a federal lawsuit in Georgia accusing election officers of counting illegally forged votes and claiming there was “misconduct” at ballot-counting amenities. His group asks for an “emergency injunction” to de-certify the election leads to the state and features a verification signed by Trump testifying to the truthfulness of the claims. In emails later made public, Trump lawyer John Eastman expresses concern about Trump signing it as a result of “he has since been made aware that some of the allegations (and evidence proffered by the experts) has been inaccurate.”
Jan. 2, 2021
Trump makes his notorious cellphone name to Raffensperger. In a recorded dialog lasting greater than an hour, Trump urges him to “find 11,780 votes” — the precise quantity wanted to win Georgia — and presses a number of conspiracies that the secretary of state had already debunked. Georgia had already performed a hand recount of all ballots and located no widespread fraud. Those on the decision included Meadows and lawyer Cleta Mitchell, who isn’t charged.
Jan. 3, 2021
Harrison William Prescott Floyd, the director of Black Voices for Trump, calls and texts Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election employee. Floyd additionally calls Trevian Kutti, a publicist who has labored for musician Kanye West. Freeman later testified to the congressional Jan. 6 committee in regards to the harassment she skilled and got here to characterize the human value of the Trump allies’ conspiracy theories.
Jan 4, 2021
Kutti travels from Chicago to fulfill with Freeman. He tells Freeman he might help her, they usually meet at a police station in Cobb County. Kutti and Floyd, who joins by speakerphone, provide safety and assist, however as a substitute strain her to lie. Members of the enterprise “traveled from out of state to harass Freeman, intimidate her, and solicit her to falsely confess to election crimes that she did not commit,” in response to the indictment.
Jan. 6, 2021
A mob of Trump supporters assault the U.S. Capitol in a failed try to cease Congress from certifying Biden’s victory, fueled by Trump’s claims.
Jan. 7, 2021
Cathleen Latham, Republican social gathering chair in Coffee County, brings bail bondsman Hall to the county elections workplace to breach election tools. Powell, Hall, Latham and Misty Hampton, the county’s elections director, agree to repeat software program and information from the tools, prosecutors say. Over a number of extra days, unindicted co-conspirators obtain that information.
The timeline of occasions is spelled out over 97 pages within the indictment introduced by Willis, who took workplace amid Trump’s effort to remain in energy. She opened the prison probe in February 2021 and it will finally final 2 1/2 years, overlapping with a parallel federal investigation. The Georgia case is now one in every of three Trump faces as he seeks to return to the White House within the 2024 presidential election. He just lately has doubled down on his declare that the 2020 vote was rigged — with out proof.
With help from Zoe Tillman.
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