Wednesday, August 16th, 2023

Today’s Headlines: In today's episode, we're focusing on the grand jury indictment in Fulton County, Georgia. Former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants are charged with criminal racketeering and related crimes. They have until August 25th to surrender and enter their pleas. The charges were announced by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who aims to try all defendants together within six months. This indictment is distinct as it employs the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to group the defendants under one charge, carrying up to 20 years in prison. The charges stem from an alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 Georgia election. The indictment describes the group as a criminal organization that engaged in various related activities to manipulate the election results. The document includes 41 counts involving multiple individuals. Trump and Rudy Giuliani lead with 13 counts each. Other defendants include those implicated in federal charges related to the election overturning attempt. The indictment also involves individuals tied to the Georgia state Republican party. Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff, faces indictment and seeks to move his case to federal court. The case is assigned to Judge Scott McAfee, potentially subject to change. The indictment brings a total of 91 counts against Trump, the leading Republican nominee contender. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: A look at the 19 people charged in the Georgia indictment connected to Trump election scheme  WA Post: RICO, the Georgia anti-racketeering law used to charge Donald Trump  NY Times: A Publicist Tied to Kanye West Got Caught Up in the Georgia Trump Investigation WA Post: The often startling numbers behind Trump’s indictment in Georgia WA Post: Mark Meadows seeks to move Georgia case into federal court  Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Amanda Duberman and Bridget Schwartz Edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices