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Former President Donald Trump is facing multiple, high-stakes legal battles concerning his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The most prominent of these is a sweeping racketeering indictment in Georgia, where he and 18 co-defendants were charged in August 2023. The 41-count indictment alleges a coordinated criminal enterprise to unlawfully alter the state's election outcome. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Georgia investigation was spurred in part by a now-infamous phone call in January 2021, during which Trump urged Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, to "find 11,780 votes"—the number needed to reverse his loss in the state. The case, brought under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, paints a picture of a multi-pronged effort to pressure officials, submit a false slate of electors, and interfere with the vote-counting process. Legal proceedings are expected to be lengthy and complex, with several co-defendants having already accepted plea deals.
In parallel, Trump is also implicated in a separate federal investigation led by a special counsel examining his actions leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and broader efforts to remain in power. Federal charges accuse him of conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. Trump has also pleaded not guilty in this case. These legal challenges are part of what critics describe as a wider campaign to undermine election integrity that has tested the foundations of American democratic institutions. The outcomes of these cases carry significant implications, not only for the former president but also for the legal and political landscape of the nation.
